


unable to stay, unwilling to leave

by Enj0ltaiRe, reddies_spaghetti



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Titanic Fusion, Eddie as Rose, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Richie as Jack, Stanlon (if you squint), based on the 1997 movie, be prepared, it's sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 22:32:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15981893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enj0ltaiRe/pseuds/Enj0ltaiRe, https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddies_spaghetti/pseuds/reddies_spaghetti
Summary: You jump, I jump. Remember?(or a reddie Titanic au you never asked for, but are getting anyway.)





	unable to stay, unwilling to leave

**Author's Note:**

> We have been working on this bitch since the beginning of May and we kind of lost inspiration for it, but then boom! We finished it in two days! We call that dedication!
> 
> We appreciate every comment and kudos that comes out way! It feeds our souls. 
> 
> You are more than welcome to come say hi to us on our Tumblrs too! 
> 
> El - [@tozier-boy](https://tozier-boy.tumblr.com)
> 
> Amy - [@reddies-spaghetti](https://reddies-spaghetti.tumblr.com)

Eddie let his hands run over the clay for the fifth time that afternoon. A frustrated sigh was apparent on his lips and his brows were almost knitted together. Why he had even bothered with attempting pottery, he would never know.

_Just one more thing to tick off the list._

From the kitchen he could hear Audra, his carer and a lovely young woman, preparing his evening supper. The television was playing in the background, an interview that Eddie could barely make out thanks to his slight loss of hearing. He found himself snorting, at 103 years old, he was complaining about turning a little deaf in his right ear.

“ _We’re here with Bill Debrough who has charted Russian subs to reach the most famous shipwreck of all, the RMS Titanic.”_

Eddie’s head shot up, his eyes widening to the size of saucers and he moved from the small pottery room and into the kitchen, ignoring the wet clay that dripped from his fingers and onto the wooden floor. Audra glanced up at him with a confused expression and he just waved at her politely.

“ _What I’m interested in are the untold stories. The one’s the no-one heard about in the papers. The secrets locked deep inside the hull of the Titanic.”_

“Turn that up, Audra. Please.”

Quickly, she turned the dial on the television, turning the volume up to almost full blast, letting the interview seep through Eddie’s ears, taking him back in time, eighty-four years to be exact.

“ _I have museum trained experts out here making sure that these relics are being preserved and catalogued properly. Take a look at this drawing we found just today.”_

As the camera panned over, the television screen filled up with the drawing, a drawing that Eddie was all to familiar with. He brought a hand up to his mouth in shock as his eyes flitted over the piece of art that he never believed he would ever set eyes on again. It was all so overwhelming.

“ _A piece of paper that’s been underwater for 84 years...and my team were able to preserve it intact. Should this have remained unseen at the bottom of the ocean for all eternity?”_

“Eddie? Is everything alright?” Audra asked, her voice filled with concern as she placed a soft hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll be god damned.”

Audra stared at Eddie as though he had grown another head, her eyebrows knitted into a frown as she stepped in front of him, “Eddie? Is everything alright? Do you need me to call a doctor?”

“No, no Audra. I don’t need a doctor dear.” Eddie shook his head, taking a few short steps over to the table and taking a seat. He placed his head in his hands, taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. “I need to make a phone call.”

“Of course, who would you like me to call?” She asked, taking a seat opposite him and covering her soft hands over his wrinkled ones.

“Bill Denbrough.”

“Bill Denbrough? The man on the television?” Audra’s expression was even more confused than before, and Eddie let out a soft breathless laugh.

“Yes, Bill Denbrough. Please, love. There is something I need to do,” Eddie explained, but didn’t provide Audra with any more information as she got to work organising the call.

It took some time, to connect the satellite call to Bill Denbrough’s research ship, but as he heard Bill’s voice come over the line, Eddie felt a smile appear on his lips.

“ _This is Bill Denbrough, how can I help you Mr...Tozier?”_

Eddie felt his smile widen and he pressed the phone closer to his ear, “Mhm. I was just wondering if you had found the ‘Heart of the Ocean’ yet, Mr Denbrough?”

There was a silence on the other end of the line, it dragged out for a little longer that Eddie believed was necessary, to the point that he thought Bill had ended the call. Then his voice echoed back through the line, “ _Alright, you have my attention, Eddie. Can you tell us who the man in the picture is?”_

A chuckle left Eddie’s parted lips, and if he were younger, he was sure it would have come out a giggle. “Oh yes. The man in the picture is me.”

What happened after the call was very much a blur. Bill had begged him to come aboard the research ship, to talk to him about the Heart of the Ocean, to tell his Titanic story. At first, he was hesitant. Was he ready to relive the past that he had worked so hard to push to the back of his mind? Was he ready to force it to the front and talk about his experience?

Yes, he was. It was time for him to go back to Titanic.

Audra packed up his bags with care, making sure to put in all of his most important photographs, the ones he couldn’t, _wouldn’t ,_ travel without. His heart ached as he thought of all the projects he was taking part in, in those pictures, and he thought about how he was about to put his heart out on the line to a bunch of complete and total strangers.

Not a single person knew his story. He hadn’t spoken a word to anyone about what went down on the RMS Titanic, and he never believed he would. Yet here he was, disembarking from a helicopter, with Audra, ready and willing to tell his life story.

Bill greeted him as he stepped down onto the deck of the ship. He was surrounded by other men, eyeing him suspiciously, as though they didn’t believe that he really was the man in the picture. Well. He was about to prove them all wrong.

“Mr Tozier! I’m Bill Denbrough! Welcome to the Keldysh!” Bill yelled over the loud noise of the helicopter propellers, holding out his hand in welcome. As it always did at the sound of his last name, Eddie’s heart clenched. He reached out and shook Bill’s hand with a tight smile, quickly being moved away from the loud noises.

As the men helped him towards the indoor area of the ship, Eddie could hear Bill behind him, talking to Audra. The tone of his voice brought a smile to his lips, maybe Audra would find some happiness out of this trip, after all. She deserved it.

Audra caught up with him, and they were led to the cabin where they would be sleeping. It was very cosy, just like Eddie liked it, and he spent his time organising his pictures around his bed. When he was satisfied with the arrangement, he took a seat on the edge of the bed, letting his eyes flit across the frames, ignoring the harsh lump forming in his throat.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and Eddie lifted his head to see Bill slowly entering the room, “I hope your room is alright. Sorry we couldn’t offer you something more comfortable.”

“No, no not at all, this is very nice. Thank you.” Eddie assured him with a smile, placing his hands on his lap. He turned to Audra, who was putting the suitcases away in a safe place. “Have you met my lovely carer, Audra?”

Audra glanced between Bill and Eddie, giving him a look that made Eddie smile. “We met on deck Eddie, _remember_?”

Bill let out a nervous laugh, “Can I get you anything? Is there anything you would like?”

At the question, Eddie looked up at Bill and he nodded his head. In that moment there was only one thing he wanted to see. “Yes, I would like to see my drawing.”

Bill’s face lit up and they led him up to the room where the drawing was located. The staff there cleared the room quickly, giving Eddie, Bill and Audra some privacy. He didn’t even have to ask where the drawing was, as his eyes landed on it almost immediately. Slowly, he walked over to where it was located in a shallow pool of water, and his eyes drifted closed.

In a flashback to a memory he had long locked away, were a pair of clear blue eyes looking at him through thick, long lashes, scribbling fingers, and a sketchbook. His heart began pounding as he remembered how he felt that night, the night that he had let himself give into passion.

“Louis XVI wore a fabulous stone called the Blue Diamond of the Crown and it disappeared in 1792. It was about the same time that he lost his head. According to theory, the diamond was chopped too and made into a heart like shape they called ‘The Heart of the Ocean’. Today it would be worth more than the Hope Diamond.” Bill explained, showing them a picture of the very same necklace that was around Eddie’s neck in the drawing.

“It was a dreadful, heavy thing. I only said to wear it as a joke but...I was convinced otherwise. It was meant for someone else,” Eddie spoke softly, a smile playing on his lips as he briefly relived the moment just before the drawing was created.

Audra swallowed, looking over Eddie’s shoulder, “You really think this is you, Eddie?”

“Of course it’s me dear. Wasn’t I a dish?” He teased. Even in his old age, Eddie never did lose his sense of humour. He couldn’t, it was the only thing keeping him going.

“I tracked it down through insurance records, an old claim settled under terms of absolute secrecy. Could you tell me who the claimant was?” Bill asked.

Eddie knew exactly who the claimant was. Myra’s father had bought it for him to give to his daughter as a wedding present, “I would believe it was someone named Kingston.”

“That’s right, James Kingston. He bought a diamond necklace for his daughter’s fiancé to give to her as an engagement present. That fiancé was you.” Bill sat down opposite him, very interested. “A week before he sailed on Titanic. It was filed right after the sinking, which means, the diamond had to have gone down with the ship.” He leaned over to the drawing. “See the date?”

Audra leaned over also, her eyes flitting over the date penciled at the bottom of the page, “April 14th, 1912.”

“Which means if Eddie here really is who he claims to be, he was wearing the diamond the day the Titanic sank,” One of Bills colleagues piped up from behind them, causing Bill to grin.

“Which makes you, my new favourite person.” Bill winked at Eddie. ‘If you come with me, there are some other things we managed to salvage from your room.”

At that, Eddie’s eyes widened and he followed them down the corridor. His eyes landed on the items immediately, and he walked over, breathless. Belongings varying from belt buckles to his mother’s old mirror were set out on the table. Swallowing, he picked up the mirror, “I remember this, it was my mothers. It looks just like I remember!” He flipped the mirror around so he was staring at himself and he hastily sat it back down. “Reflection has changed a bit, though.”

He felt Bill kneel beside him and place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Are you ready to go back to Titanic?”

Closing his eyes, Eddie nodded briefly. “Yes, yes of course.”

As they all settled into a room surrounded by televisions and technical equipment, Bill’s assistant put on a very short, yet detailed video of the ship’s sinking, sending uncomfortable chills down Eddie’s spine.

“Pretty cool huh?”

A humourless laugh left Eddie’s lips, “Well, thank you for that...factual video. However I’m afraid the experience of it was...rather different.”

“Would you share it with us?” Bill asked, his voice curious.

Eddie rose from the chair, walking over to one of the cameras that was panning over sections of the wreckage that was the Titanic. He swallowed thickly at the images of the halls that he once walked upon, the doors he had pushed open. He inhaled a shaky breath and pinched his nose.

“Eddie do you want to go to bed?” Audra asked but Eddie shook his head firmly.

“No, no I- I’m alright,” he assured her. He focused on his breathing, in and out, as he returned to his seat. Bill pulled a tape recorder from his pocket and switched it on, sitting it on the table between them.

“Tell us, Eddie.”

There was a pause, and Eddie sucked in a breath, “It’s been eighty-four years-”

“I know it must be difficult, but just try to remember whatever you can.” Bill said and Eddie glared at him. Like he could ever forget.

“Do you want to hear this story or not, Mr Denbrough?” He asked, his question being met with silence. “It’s been eighty-four years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used, the sheets had never been slept in. Titanic was, the ship of dreams, and it was...it really was.”

And with that, he allowed his story to begin.

* * *

Unimpressed. That was a word that Eddie could use to describe the ship before him. As he stepped out of the car, his hand held out to accept that of Myra’s, his fiancee, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

“Grandest ship in the world they say?” Eddie spoke, earning Myra’s attention. “It doesn’t look any bigger than the Mauretania.”

Myra scoffed from next to him, fixing the hat that sat on top of her head, a sickly smile on her lips that made Eddie want to vomit, “Edward,  _darling_ , it’s at least 100 feet longer than the Mauretania, and far more luxurious!”

Henry, Myra’s bodyguard and close confidante, opened the door to his mother’s car, offering her his hand to help her disembark the car. “Your son is so difficult to impress, Sonia,” he hummed, earning him a light, but fake, chuckle from his mother.

“So this is the ship they say is unsinkable?” She mused, turning her nose up at the large vessel before her. Under his breath, Eddie scoffed. People wondered where he got his attitude from, yet the answer was staring them right in the face in the form of his mother.

Henry followed closely behind, falling into step next to Myra, “It is unsinkable. God himself couldn’t sink this ship-” his words were interrupted by a valet, asking him where he would like their bags to be placed.

Myra turned her head rather quickly at that, her nose turned up as she looked at the valet. Her father’s daughter, Eddie thought bitterly. She walked over, pulling some money out of her pocket and handing it to the valet, “If you see Patrick here, he will instruct you on where to put our belongings.”

Henry looked at his watch and turned to the ladies, and Eddie. “We better get aboard, the ship will be leaving port soon and we don’t want to be left behind.”

With that, they made their way to the gangway, stepping up onto the wooden board to walk onto the ship. In front of them, Eddie took notice of a woman wearing a large fur coat, holding onto the leash of her three dogs. All the cheering from the people on the pier faded into a murmur as they were greeted at the main door.

“Welcome aboard the Titanic, Sir.” Eddie nodded his head and sent the man a very soft smile. He was being polite after all. Myra looped her arm through his, tugging him close with a sickly smile of her own.

“The ship of dreams, they call this. It really is isn’t it?” She cooed and Eddie shuddered.

The ship of dreams to everyone else maybe, but to Eddie? To Eddie it was a slave ship, taking him back to America in chains. Forced into a marriage he didn’t want, with a woman he didn’t love. On the outside, he lived up to the appearance of the high society boy he was brought up to be.

Inside, he was screaming.

The suites were large, too large for one single man to sleep in, but unfortunately that was how First Class was and always would be. He was placed in his own room, with his mothers directly across from him, and Myra’s down the hall. He hadn’t even bothered to find out where Henry and Patrick would be sleeping, but he assumed they wouldn’t be too far away from Myra.

Henry may have been Myra’s bodyguard, but his family were wealthy, just like his own, or at least like they used to be. Henry’s father was in close terms with Myra’s father, and he trusted no-one more to take care of his daughter than Henry.

Eddie hated his guts. He walked around as though he owned the ground he walked on, and his face was always plastered with a sly grin that make Eddie’s insides churn. He was sure that if given the chance, he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot Eddie on the spot.

A few times, Eddie thought that he would probably let him.

The suite was equipped with their own private sitting room, study and even a promenade deck. The whole scene made Eddie want to vomit all over the wooden floor, so he turned his head away, focusing on the paintings and drawings that were being unpacked.

Even at his mother’s disgust, Eddie had insisted on bringing them along. They were precious to him, and looking at the room before him, he knew that it could use a little bit of decoration.

“Would you like them all out, sir?” His manservant spoke up and Eddie nodded his head.

“Oh yes, this room could use a little colour,” he mused, voicing his inner thoughts out loud.

It was Myra’s high pitched voice that caught his attention, “Oh Edward, not those finger paintings again. I don’t understand why you insist on carrying them around with you, they are absolutely ghastly. A waste of money.”

“Maybe to you, dear, but to me I find them fascinating.” There was an insult on his lips, but he reigned himself in, not in the mood for an argument in front of all the people surrounding them. “It’s like being inside of a dream or something. There’s truth, but no logic.”

“What is the artists name?” Myra asked, walking over and staring at the painting, nose twitching in the process.

“Something Picasso?” Eddie offered, carrying a painting through to his room. As he did, he could hear Myra’s fading voice in the background.

“Something Picasso? He won’t amount to anything, trust me!” She called and then added on, “At least they were cheap.”

They were anything but cheap, but as Eddie helped the valets unpack his things, he pushed Myra’s words to the back of his brain.

After all, this was his life now.

* * *

“Rich, you’re insane.” Stan hissed between his teeth, holding his cards so tightly in his hand that they could have crumpled at any second. “You’ve bet everything we have.” The blonde had a frown on his forehead that was somewhere in between worry and anger.

Richie looked up from his cards, meeting his best friend’s accusing gaze, and smirked, causing the ash at the end of the cigarette that he was holding between his lips to fall down on the table. “Don’t you fret, my friend. When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.” He winked and Stan scoffed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

The two men they were playing against didn’t speak a single word of english, which could have been a problem if they were discussing the real market estate, but there was no need of words in the game of poker. Richie looked down at his cards once more, then eyed the wager on the table: a couple of wrinkled dollar bills, coins, a watch that could have been worth something about ten dollars and, last but not least, two third class tickets that might have brought them to America.

Oh, how Richie wanted to go back home after have been away for so long.

He could see the RMS Titanic docked right outside of that cheap, sweat-smelling pub. That could have been his way out of England, his new start. That huge, brand new ship that had never sailed the sea before was going to take him home.

“Alright, gentlemen. Moment of truth.” He announced, cutting the game short. He felt Stan stiffen by his side, which didn’t promise anything good. “Stan the man?” He prompted, and the blonde tossed his cards down on the table, shaking his head. “Nothing.” He noted.

“Nothing.” Stan remarked bitterly, staring down at the bet, almost as if he was already mourning.

“Sven?” Richie moved on, focusing on the big, broad Russian man that was sitting in front of him. A droplet of sweat rolled down his temple as he put his cards down, and Richie had to keep himself from smirking. “Nothing.”

Maybe he _really_ was going home.

“Olaf?” The other Russian looked at him and challenged him with a wicked smile, setting two pairs down.

Richie bit down on his lower lip. “Fuck. I’m so sorry, Stan-” He begun.

“Sorry? You’re _sorry_? Go fuck yours-”

“Sorry that you won’t see your mama for a long time.” Richie interrupted him, before his friend completely snapped. “Because we’re going to America!” He slammed his cards down with a grin. “Full house, motherfuckers!” He exclaimed, and immediately grabbed the two tickets on the table.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe it.” Stan stood up and they hugged tightly. “You crazy son of a bitch.”

Richie beamed at him and turned to the little crowd around them. “I’m going to America!”

Before anyone could say anything, the bartender that had looked half asleep since they had walked in his filthy bar pointed up at the clock on the wall. “No, lad. Titanic goes to America. In five minutes.”

Both Richie and Stan’s eyes widened and they made a quick job in collecting all the money, while Sven and Olaf argued over their loss. They ran outside the bar and through the crowded pier. It was almost as if the entire city of Southampton had reunited there to watch the world’s biggest ship retract all moorings. There were people waving on the ship, people waving down on the streets, people cheering and screaming goodbyes and Richie could feel adrenaline and excitement running all over his body. He pushed his way through the crowd and reached the gangway just as a couple of crew members were pulling it away, turning just once to make sure that Stan was still behind him.

“Wait! Wait, we’re passengers!” He called, gaining a man’s attention before he closed the door. “We’re passengers!” He waved their tickets, and the officer looked at them skeptically.

“Have you been through the medical inspection?” He asked. He didn’t need to see the tickets to guess that the two young men in front of him were going to be third class passengers, given the way they were dressed and the shaggy bags they were carrying on their shoulders.

Richie nodded his head fast, catching his breath and handing the tickets to the man. “Of course we have, but we don’t have lices. We’re Americans.” He said, putting a hand on Stan’s shoulder and looking at the officer expectantly.

“Very well.” He said after a few seconds, sighing. “Come on, get on board.”

Richie and Stan shared a grin and they both jumped through the door, finding themselves in what was probably the fanciest room they had ever seen in their entire life. And they were only in the reception hall.

Luck. That was all Richie believed in. And, for once, it had actually been on his side.

They walked through the corridors, avoiding bumping into people and searching for their cabin. As they reached below the first decks, the hallways became more narrow. There weren’t decorations and smell of fresh pastry anymore: the walls were painted white, the doors had bronze numbers on them and, sure as hell, no one was inviting them in their cabin offering them a flute of champagne with a raspberry floating in it. Not that Richie nor Stan were expecting anything like that, anyway. When they found their room, which was white as well, with two sets of bunk beds, they shook their roommate’s hands and put their bags down, feeling as happy as they had been in a long time.

“Can you believe our luck?” Stan said, tossing his jacket on the top bunk and running a hand through his messy blond curls.

“You mean _my_ luck.” Richie pointed out, grinning and adjusting his suspenders. “You’re terrible at poker.”

“Fuck off.” Stan laughed, shaking his head. “It was an unlucky hand, that’s all.”

“How come that every hand is an unlucky hand when it comes to you?” Richie teased, and winked at his friend. “Thank fuck for me, uh?”

Stan rolled his eyes, but a fond smile was curving his thin lips. “Shut up, Tozier. Let’s go upstairs, I don’t want to miss the departure.”

The upper deck was just as crowded as it looked from the outside, if not more. Richie and Stan pushed a little to reach the railing, where Richie started waving as if it was his last occasion to do so.

“Do you know someone?” Stan asked, amused by his friend’s enthusiasm.

“No, but that’s not the point, is it?” Richie chucked, waving his hand and grinning wide.

And just like that, the Titanic left the Southampton’s pier.  

Richie grabbed the sleeve of Stan’s sleeve and led him all the way to the ship’s bow. It was a sunny day, so clear that there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Richie looked down, sticking out of the railing and watching as the waves crashed against the ship. He had been on many ships and boats before, but he had never seen anything like the Titanic before. He felt like he was so high above the sea that he could have touched the sky with the tip of his fingers if he had stretched towards it.

“Look at that.” He grinned, pointing at the dolphins that were racing against the ship, swimming and jumping next to it. They looked so small compared to the ship, that they were just about the size of goldfishes in a tank.

“I can’t believe we’re going to America.” Stan said, closing his eyes and tilting his head up, enjoying the sun and the fresh breeze.

Richie climbed on the railing and opened his arms, grinning widely and looking at the clear horizon in front of him, feeling almost as if he was flying. “I’m the king of the fucking world.”

* * *

The ship made one other stop before it headed out towards America, and at the stop a young woman named Beverly Hanscom boarded the ship. She was what Eddie’s mother called, ‘New Money’, freshly married to a wealthy aristocrat named Benjamin in New York. He had yet to meet her in person, but Eddie desperately wanted to, as she seemed like such a kind, friendly breath of fresh air.

At that moment, they were having tea in one of the conversation rooms for the First Class. The man opposite him, spilling out fact after fact after fact about the Titanic. Usually, Eddie would have zoned out, but for some reason he found himself interested in what he had to say.

“She is the largest moving object ever made by the hand of man in all history, and our master ship builder, Mr Andrews, here, designed her from the keel plates up!” Mr Bruce Ismay gloated from his seat, swirling his whiskey around in his glass.

“She?” Eddie asked, quietly.

“You always call a ship 'she’, Mr Kaspbrak.” Mr Andrews, one of the kindest men that Eddie ever had the pleasure of meeting, looked rather bashful. He shook his head from across the table, “I may have knocked her together, but the idea was Mr Ismay’s. He envisioned a steamer so grand in scale, so luxurious in its appointments that it’s supremacy would never be challenged, and here she is! Willed into solid reality.”

As the conversation flowed, Eddie picked up a cigar from the table, placing it between his teeth and lighting it. It was something that calmed him, even if it earned him disappointed looks from his mother.

“Edward, you know I don’t like it when you do that,” Sonia hissed from next to him. Eddie blinked a few times, turning his head to face her and exhaling the smoke directly in her face. He resisted the urge to smirk, his mothers frown deepening as she sat back in disgust.

Before he could place it back between his teeth, it was removed from his fingers by Myra, who stubbed it out in the ashtray. “He knows.” She send him a warning glare and Eddie had to bite his tongue. All the other men at the table were smoking, and yet, here he was being treated like a child. It was ridiculous.

As the waiters came round to take their meal order, Myra turned to one of them, “We’ll both have the lamb with mint. You like lamb don’t you Edward?”

Eddie despised lamb, but in order to appease her, he nodded his head.

Across the room, a voice piped up, the voice of Beverly Marsh, “Are you going to cut his meat for him too Myra?” She asked, disdain evident in her voice. That statement alone brought a light smirk onto Eddie’s lips. Myra looked up at her, her mouth opening in a response but Beverly beat her to it, “So, who thought of the name Titanic? Was it you Bruce”

Mr Ismay smiled, tilting his head and nodded, “Yes, it was actually. I wanted to convey sheer size, and size means stability, luxury and above all, strength!” Eddie turned his head, his interest once again peaked.

Before he could stop himself, Eddie spoke up, “Do you know of Dr, Freud, Mr Ismay?” His question was earned with confused looks from everyone at the table. “His ideas about the male preoccupation with size might be of particular interest to you.”

At his words, both Beverly and Mr Andrews snorted into their napkins, as his mother looked scandalised. “Edward! What has gotten into you?!”

Eddie threw his napkin down and stood up, giving the people at the table one last look before he pushed his chair in. “Excuse me,” he announced, nodding his head and departed the lounge and onto the deck.

His head was spinning as he breathed in the fresh air the moment he opened the door. What was he doing? Speaking out of turn like that? Eddie had no idea, but he knew one thing was for absolute certain.

He liked it.

* * *

The ship had different decks, of course. Third class passengers were not allowed to stroll where the first class passengers were, oh no. First class people didn’t want to mingle with such scum, but they did let their dogs be walked on the lower deck.

“It’s a nice reminder of the place that we occupy in this world, uh?” Richie looked up from the sketchbook in his lap to look at the man that had spoken.

He was tall and muscular, obviously a hard worker. He had dark skin, short, curly hair and pearl white teeth that lighted up his whole face. He was nodding his head towards a Border Collie that was doing what he needed to do right on the deck, while the crew member that was walking him prepared a little plastic bag to clean everything up.

Richie snorted and run a hand through his unruly curls to push them away from his forehead. “As if we could ever forget that.” He joked, extending his hand towards the stranger. “Richard Tozier, and this over here’s my friend Stan the Man.”

The man threw his cigarette overboard and shook his hand with an affable smile on his lips. “Mike Hanlon, nice to meet you.”

Richie looked between Mike and Stan as they shook hands and raised an eyebrow at the way their eyes locked together for a brief moment.

“Where are you from, Mike?” Stan asked, offering the man another cigarette and lighting one for himself as well.

“You know, here and there. Father’s from Kenya, mother’s from Seattle. I was born in Scotland.” He explained, blowing the smoke towards the sky. “But I’ve never really settled down anywhere. My siblings are already in America and they told me that there are a lot of possibilities over there for black people, more than in Scotland and England, so who knows.” He shrugged lightly, while Stan nodded his head.

Richie had turned his attention back to the man that was holding a little girl in his arms, letting her watch the water underneath, and he was drawing down the lines of their portrait.

“Are you an artist?” Mike asked, leaning closer to look at Richie’s drawing.

“Struggling.” Richie chuckled, blowing some charcoal dust away from the paper. “It’s hard to make money out of drawings.”

“It’s hard to make money period.” Mike joked, and both Stan and Richie laughed. “So where are you guys headed to? Going somewhere after we arrive in New York?”

Stan answered, but his voice sounded distant and way too low to be heard once Richie had looked up. His gaze had landed on the first class deck and, right there, standing with his elbows on the railing and a cream suit that hug his figure perfectly, was a boy that must have been around his age, maybe a couple of years younger. He had the most sad and yet haughty look in his eyes. Richie found himself staring at the him, unable to look away from his wavy and perfectly styled brown hair and his pouty pink lips. He couldn’t tell which colour his eyes were from that distance, but he was somehow sure they matched his hair. He wondered what had made him so angry, what was upsetting him and if it would have been appropriate to crack a loud joke to gain his attention and make him laugh. It wouldn’t have been appropriate, but Richie never cared much for appropriate. He wondered what the boy’s laugh would have sounded like.

Someone waved a hand in front of his face, but he couldn’t look away. Everything around him had disappeared, almost as if that boy was the only source of light left in the entire world.

“Earth to Richie.” Stan called, and Mike chuckled next to him.

The young man must have felt Richie’s intense gaze on him, because the turned his head, just a little, and looked down at the lower deck, meeting Richie’s eyes. That knocked Richie’s air out of his lungs, because the he was looking at him, right at him of all people, and his expression shifted for a brief second into something Richie couldn’t quite recognize.

Then, a young girl with a little pink hat and a fancy dress that matched it joined his side, sliding her arm around his and beaming at him. The boy tore his gaze away from Richie and turned his attention to her, stretching his lips in an emotionless smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“You better forget it, mate.” Mike said, flicking the ash off of his cigarette and chuckling. “You gotta empty a mine of gold before getting anywhere close to the likes of him.” He said, shaking his head in amusement.

He didn’t seem bothered by the way Richie was looking at him, which settled a warm, friendly feeling in Richie’s stomach.

The couple left the first class deck and the boy didn’t turn to look at Richie again. He was probably married to the girl, or engaged, if not married yet.

“He has an eye for pretty things. He’s an artist.” Stan teased. “Unfortunately, pretty things don’t have eyes for him.”

Richie smiled, playing along, and took the cigarette that he was keeping behind his ear and pushed it between his lips.

“Posh people, not our kind.” Mike said, matter of factly. “They look at us as if we’re some kind of scum.”

Richie wondered if that boy had thought of him as scum when their eyes met.

* * *

Dinner was an extravagant affair, everyone dressed to the nines for what would only be a few short hours and then they would retreat to bed. Eddie always thought it was such a waste of time and effort, if you were going to get dressed up, then the point should be to have a very good reason, like a wedding. The people surrounding them were so invested in themselves, in their own small lives that they had no idea what was going on around them.

This wasn’t the life Eddie wished he could live. Forced to sit and mingle with people who couldn’t care less, creating conversation about how one likes their caviar or what the weather was going to be like the following day.

Deep down, Eddie just wanted it all to stop. He wanted each and every disapproving stare he was sent every time he did something that wasn’t considered classy, to stop. He wanted people to stop expecting things from him that he couldn’t provide. He wanted them to stop prodding at him.

Eddie wanted to live his own life. Unfortunately, what he did with his life wasn’t his choice.

A bitter laugh left his lips, but he covered it up well. Those in the lower classes believed they were at a disadvantage, wishing and hoping to be just like him. Yet, they had no idea how lucky they were. They were free to make their own choices, to live their life in whatever way they wanted it to be. It wasn’t the first time that Eddie wished he hadn’t been born into this life, it wasn’t the first time that he had wanted to escape. To run away.

There was no running away this time. The minute the Titanic docked in New York, he was going to be dragged to the church and his wedding vows forced out of him. He was going to be stuck in a loveless marriage, forced to bring up his children to act and behave just like everyone around him.

That wasn’t something Eddie wanted for his children. No child deserved to be treated the way he was treated growing up.

They deserved to be free.

Next to him, he could hear his mother discussing the wedding preparations with Myra. What the invitations would look like, what material the dresses would be made from. The men in the room were all occupied in the same mindless chatter about gambling and cigars. Topics that Eddie couldn’t care less about. He was desperate to be able to talk to someone about interesting topics, things that meant something.

Yet here he was, sitting at a table, tuning out the narrow minded people. At that moment, he felt as though he were suffocating, and he reached up to tug at the tie that was tight around his neck. There was no way out, no way of escaping the life that had been planned out for him. At least, not while he was still breathing.

The thought stuck in his mind as he pushed his chair back and rose from his seat. He was spared a few questioning glances, but nothing more and he didn’t bother to wait for his mother, or Myra to speak up. He had to get out of there. There was no other option.

The night was cold, and the only sound that could be heart was the clicking of his neatly polished shoes against the wooden deck as he ran. The scarf that was around his neck trailed behind him in the wind, almost getting caught in one of the gates as it closed behind him.

No-one tried to stop him, and Eddie was glad. The stern of the ship was in his sights and he let out a large gulp of breath as his body slammed into the railings. Slowly, he looked down at the crashing waves below, body trembling at the thought of what he was about to do. Deep down Eddie knew there was no other way out. This was the only way.

He had to jump.

It was his only hope of an escape. When the marriage to Myra was set up, his mother’s words were, “ _You’ll learn to love her,_ **”** but she couldn’t have been more wrong. There was no way Eddie was going to fall in love with Myra, not when their tastes were so...different. It was wrong, deep down Eddie knew that it was wrong, but feelings couldn’t be helped. He couldn’t help the way his cheeks would flush when a handsome gentleman smiled in his direction, he couldn’t help the fluttering in his stomach when a man would compliment his good looks.

He didn’t have any other choice. He _had_ to jump.

* * *

Richie was no stranger to the starry sky. He had spent many nights without a roof on his head, staring up at the stars until they lulled him to sleep, but he had never seen them like that. So clear, so bright that they were projecting silvery reflections on the surface of the ocean.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the smoke that filled his lungs and blowing it out in the wind, opening his eyes again. The air was cool, maybe a little too cool to be lying on a wooden bench without a proper coat on, but Richie had been through much worse. A little wind had never killed nobody, anyway.

Then, all of a sudden, he heard rushed footsteps and the sound of someone breathing fast, ragged and crying. He frowned and sat up, seeing a man in a suit running to the ship’s stern. His eyebrows knitted together as he stood up, following him without making a sound. He wasn’t sure of what was going on, but when he saw him climbing on the other way of the railing and looking down at the ocean beneath, he started to form an idea.

He swallowed hard and chewed on his lower lip as he took step after step, being careful not to scare him, because he really didn’t want him to fall down. He was trembling, and Richie could tell how terrified he was by the way his shoulders were tense and his knuckles were white where they were wrapped around the metal railing.

“Don’t do it.” He said, and the man’s head whipped around.

Richie would have recognised that face over a million. The same boy that was on the deck that very afternoon, looking as snob as he could have been, was now standing on the thin line between life and death, with tears streaked cheeks and red rimmed eyes.

“Stay back!” His voice was shaky and thick with emotions. “Don’t come any closer.”

Richie stopped on his tracks, raising his hands in defeat but without looking away from him.

“Don’t stand there! Go away! Leave me alone!” The young man croaked, as new tears fell from his eyes.

“Well, this is a free world, isn’t it? I fancy this part of the ship, so why can’t we just share it?” He said casually, removing the cigarette from between his lips. The boy looked at him in confusion, and Richie took a couple of steps forward to throw the fag butt overboard. “Why? Am I bothering you?” He flashed him with an innocent smile, which made the boy look even more confused.

“You- you are distracting me. Go away.” He was struggling to sound stern, but his voice was still shaking.

“No can do.” Richie clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, shaking his head in resignation. “Come on, give me your hand.” He said, sounding soft and holding his hand out for him to take.

“Stay away!” He cried, and his grip on the railing faltered a little. “Don’t touch me! I mean it. I’ll let go.” The boy looked down at the water and swallowed hard, while Richie tried to keep as calm as possible.

“I don’t think you will.” He simply said, pressing his lips together in a thin line and gaining his attention once again.  
**“** What do you mean you don’t think I will? You don’t know me, so don’t you dare presume to know what I will or won’t do!”

“If you were going to jump, you would have done it already.” Richie said, shrugging lightly and looking at him, matter of factly.

“That’s because you’re distracting me!” He protested, refusing to meet Richie’s gaze. “Go away and let me do what I need to do.”

“I can’t go and leave you.” Richie said, keeping the distance that the boy obviously desperately needed. “I’m involved now, so if you’re going to jump, I’m going to have to jump after you.”

A bitter laugh escaped his lips, as the wind dried the tears on his cheeks. “Don’t be absurd, you’d die.”

“Won’t be a picnic, that much is for sure.” Richie agreed, taking his jacket off and throwing it on the deck. “But I’m an excellent swimmer, so you’re in good hands.”

“The impact with the water would be enough to kill you.” The boy pointed out.

“If not that, the cold water will do it in a few minutes, anyway.” Richie sighed, shaking his head and looking down at the ocean.

The boy hesitated, looking between Richie and the water for a couple of times before he tilted his chin up, trying to look unimpressed. “How cold?”

“Ah, freezing. Maybe a couple of degrees over.” Richie leaned with an elbow against the railing, looking up at him. “It’ll be like being stabbed by a thousands knives.” He explained, staring in his eyes. “Being in these kind of waters with nothing to keep you afloat…” He whistled and shook his head. “Not a death I’m looking forward to, but apparently I have no choice.” He bent down and undid his shoelaces, kicking his cheap boots off. “If you jump, I’ll just have to jump after you.” He looked up at the boy again, noticing how his words were obviously affecting him. “Unless you decide to climb over that railing and spare me this inconvenience, of course.” He said with a little smile, moving closer to him and offering him his hands. “Come on, you don’t really want to do this.”

Slowly, so slowly, the boy turned around, gripping onto Richie’s forearms for dear life and looking up at him with huge, terrified eyes. From that close, Richie could see his glassy, brown eyes perfectly, and even the freckles that were scattered on his nose and cheeks, despite how pale he was.

Richie sighed in relief and smiled at him, exhaling quietly. “Richie Tozier.” He introduced himself.

“Edward Christopher Frank Kaspbrak.” The other breathed, and Richie chuckled.

“You’re gonna have to write that down for me.” At that, the boy laughed as well, quietly and wetly, but it was something. It was a start. “Come on.” He helped him climbing back on board, but, just as he was making the first step, the red, satin scarf he was wearing around his neck got caught under his freshly polished shoe, and he slipped, falling down.

Richie grabbed his hand tightly, eyes wide with terror as Edward cried out in panic.

“I’ve got you! I’ve got you!” Richie reassured him.

“Please help me! Please! Don’t let me fall!” He cried, letting the panic taking over, which wasn’t helping their case in the slightest. He was also kicking his legs, which made it harder for Richie to keep his hold steady on him.

“Listen to me!” Richie called, firmly. “I’m not letting you fall, okay? Now push yourself up, I’ve got you.” Edward nodded and did his best to cooperate, trying to use every single source of strength in his lithe body to save himself and helping Richie save him.  “There you go, come on!” Richie gritted out through his teeth, pulling Edward towards him until his arm was securely wrapped around his waist and the boy was back on board.

He tripped over the jacket he had left on the floor, and they both fell down, Richie right on top of Edward. He was shaking with fear, his cheeks were deadly pale with shock and his lips slightly livid because of the cold.

“You’re okay, you’re oka-” Before he could say anything else, there were two members of the crew around them, visibly alarmed and shocked to find the scene before their eyes. They must have been alerted by Edward’s cries for help.

Richie knew exactly what it must have looked like: a third class passenger tackling a visibly terrified aristocratic young man down. It wasn’t going to end well for him.

Despite the boy’s firm grip on his biceps, he pushed himself off of him and stood up, while the crew members ordered someone to run and call the purser.

Just as fast as everything else had happened, someone was handcuffing Richie for assault and attempted mugging, Edward was sitting on a bench with a blanket around his shoulders, the purser was asking him question and the same woman he had seen talking to Edward that very afternoon was screeching like a needy toddler.

“This ship is not safe! Not with people of his kind on board!” She screeched, pointing at Richie. On each of her sides, was standing a man: one hard dirty blond hair, blue eyes and a wicked glint in his eyes, while the other one was taller and lankier, with slightly greasy dark hair.

“My fiancé was in danger! I want this man thrown overboard! I want him to become the sharks’ next supper!”

Just as Richie was about to open his mouth to remind her that they weren’t on a fictional pirate ship, Edward stood up, tossing the blanket off of his shoulders. “Enough, Myra.” He said, firmly. “He wasn’t hurting me. He saved my life.” Several pairs of eyes looked at him in confusion, which made him massage his temples and gesturing at the railing. “I was sticking my head out because I wanted to see the propellers and I slipped.” He said, causing Richie to frown a little. “I could have died, but Mr Tozier was fast enough to grab my hand.”

The purser looked at Richie with his eyes narrowed. “Is that true?” He asked. Richie looked at Edward for a second, then back at the older man.

“Yes. That’s basically what happened.” Richie confirmed, catching Edward sighing in relief with the corner of his eyes.

“Guess these aren’t needed anymore, then.” He purser exclaimed, taking the handcuffs off and shaking Richie’s hand. “My apologies. And well done, son.”

Richie nodded his head and looked back at Edward. “Anytime.”

“Fine, alright.” Myra scoffed, sliding her arm under Edward’s. “Let’s just go back to the suite, I’m freezing and I’m tired.” She complained, and started to tug him away.

“Perhaps a little something for the boy?” The purser suggested, nodding his head towards Richie, who was standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking at Edward’s retrieving back.

They both stopped on their tracks, and Myra looked a bit startled by the statement, almost as if she hadn’t even taken into consideration to reward the saviour of her fiancé's life. Not that Richie wanted their money, but that was quite revealing of the nature of their relationship.

“I-uh, of course.” She said, gesturing to one of her bodyguards. “Mr Bowers, I think that a twenty should do it.” The man with blond hair gave her a nod and moved his hand in his pocket to grab his wallet, but Edward scoffed.

“Is that the going rate for my life?” He asked, looking between Bowers and Myra, then back at Richie, but just for a second.

“Edward is displeased.” Myra pouted, wrapping her arms around his neck and looking up at him, batting her lashes. “What to do?” She wondered, playing with a strand of his hair and smiling sweetly. “How about we invite Mr Tozier over for dinner, tomorrow night?” She proposed, turning her hair to look at Richie and flashing him with a fake, polite smile. “You could delight us with your heroic tale.”

Richie held her gaze for a moment, then nodded, running a hand through his curls and leaning his back against a pole. “Dinner. Of course, sounds great.” He agreed, looking at Edward instead of Myra.

“Excellent.” She said, sounding anything but pleased. “I’m sure it’ll be interesting.” She smiled again and then took Edward’s hand. “Let’s go back inside, my darling. I’m so cold.” This time, they left once for all, followed by the purser and the black haired bodyguard.

Bowers, on the other hand, lingered on the deck, eyeing Richie suspiciously.

“Do you have a cigarette?” Richie eventually asked, and the man took his silver case out of his expensive suit’s pocket, handing it over.

He put a cigarette behind his ear and the other between his lips, while Bowers closed it with a clic. “It’s curious how the master slipped so suddenly, but you still had time to remove your jacket _and_ your shoes.” He said, making Richie’s heart jump in his chest. “Goodnight.” He greeted, following the others’ path back inside.

Richie flicked the cigarette back and forth with his tongue, letting out a low curse under his breath.

* * *

His mother had been furious after hearing what had happened on the deck, even though Eddie had told her on multiple occasions that the young man had saved his life, which he had, just not in the way they all thought.

Once he finally managed to pry himself away from both his mother and Myra’s clutches, he locked himself in his room, pressing his forehead against the wood of his dressing table. His thoughts began to wonder, back to the deck of the ship, back to Richie who had told him he would have jumped into the Atlantic Ocean after him if he had to.

Richie who didn’t even know him.

His hands moved to the top locked drawer of the dressing table, turning the key swiftly and pulling it open. Inside was a box, a box that contained a very important piece of jewellery that he was meant to give to Myra when they docked in New York. He opened the box, his eyes staring at the necklace inside, a heart shaped diamond, fifty-six carats to be exact.

According to Henry, it was worn by Louis XVI, and they called it ‘Le Coeur de la Mer’ which translated to ‘The Heart of the Ocean’.

It was a dreadful heavy thing, yet Eddie knew that Myra would walk around wearing it as though she were royalty. They may have had money, but they were far from royalty. Twisting his nose up, he pushed the necklace back into the drawer, locking it once more and standing up. On a normal evening, his manservant would have come in to help him get ready for bed, but in that moment Eddie just wanted to be alone.

His thoughts went back to Richie as he lay down on the mattress, staring at the ceiling. He was handsome, there was no denying it. His dark unruly curls, his sparkling blue eyes, his teasing smirk on his lips, his rough hands that had gripped onto him so tightly. He could only imagine what those hands would have felt like on other parts of his body. Eddie felt his face flush a little at the thought and he pulled his pillow over his face, trying to banish the thoughts from his mind.

He fell into a dreamless sleep that evening, soothed by the sound of the waves from his window.

The following morning, he made his excuses to miss brunch with Myra and his mother. Instead, he wandered down into the third class section, determined to find the man who saved his life. As he walked, his mere presence in this section of the ship earned him stars and confused glanced from the passengers.

_Is he lost?_ Was what they were most likely thinking. Yet Eddie didn’t let their stares falter him. He was a man on a mission, and he was determined to complete it.

He took a few more steps down until he was in the recreational room. From a distance, Eddie could hear music being played and laughter coming from all around yet, the moment they laid eyes on him, the music stopped, as did the chatter.

Swallowing, Eddie continued to make his way through the crowd, offering the people he passed a soft smile and a nod of the head. His eyes scanned the rows, looking for Richie’s familiar face as a wave of panic surged through him. Maybe Richie wasn’t here, maybe he was elsewhere and Eddie had just interrupted all these lovely people and most likely ruined their fun.

Just as he was about to give up, a cough sounded a few rows over from him and then, Richie was turning around and getting to his feet. Eddie offered him a shy smile and he ducked his head, feeling slightly embarrassed by all the pairs of eyes staring at them.

Richie cleared his throat and with a wave of his hand to one side, the band picked up their music once more and the groups continued with their conversations. Eddie was thankful, even though Richie’s friends were still watching them with wide, unbelieving eyes. “Hello, Mr Tozier.”

Richie brought a hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing at it with a quirky smile, “Hello again.”

“May I speak with you?” He asked and Richie nodded his head, yet made no move to walk away from the group. All of his friends were now listening intently and Eddie cleared his throat, “Um, in private?”

The quirky smile widened even more and Richie reached down to pick up his jacket and a leather binder, “Yes, yes of course.” Eddie caught the way his friends chuckled at the interaction, a smile gracing his lips as he watched them playfully tease each other before Richie led him back out of the recreational hall and out onto the deck.

How nice it must be to have friends like that.

The deck wasn’t particularly crowded, and for that, Eddie was grateful. They walked along in silence for at least thirty minutes and it was beginning to nag on him. Richie hadn’t made any attempt to start up a conversation yet, which brought Eddie to the conclusion that he was waiting for him.

Clearing his throat, he turned to face the man, “Weather’s nice out, isn’t it?” Eddie knew it was a stupid question to ask, yet it was a clear coded ice breaker.

Richie chuckled next to him, “Well, I suppose it is. Better than the rain.”

Internally, Eddie winced, this was not the kind of conversation he planned on having with the man. Swallowing his pride, Eddie sent Richie a softer smile,  “So, tell me about you.”

“You want to know about me?” Richie asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yes, tell me about the man who convinced me not to jump,” Eddie repeated, giving Richie his full attention.

“Oh well, I’ve been on my own since I was fifteen. My folks had passed away and I had no brothers or sisters, or close kin in that part of the country. So I made the decision to get on up out of there and I haven’t been back since. I’m a lone wolf, never really knowing where I’ll end up next.” They walked along the deck for a few more minutes in silence before Richie spoke up again, “So, Edward-”

“Eddie,” He provided. “Please, call me Eddie.”

“Eddie. Well Eddie, we have walked about a mile around this boat deck and chewed over how great the weathers been and how I grew up but, I reckon that’s not what you came to talk to be about, is it?”

At Richie’s words, Eddie sighed, “Mr Tozier I-”

“Richie. If I get to call you Eddie then you get to call me Richie. Deal?”

Eddie smiled at that, nodding his head, “Richie. I want to thank you for what you did. Not just for pulling me back but for for your discretion.”

“You’re welcome,” Richie hummed, tilting his head forward, the quirky smile back on his lips. That smile alone that Eddie believe could haunt someone’s dreams, and not in a bad way.

“Look, I know what you must be thinking: ‘Poor little rich boy, what does he know about misery?’”

“No.” Richie stated, stopping by the edge of the ship and leaning against one of the strong metal wires. “No, that’s not what I was thinking at all. What I was thinking was, what could have happened to this boy to make him think he had no way out.”

That took Eddie by surprise and he blinked a few times before walking over and standing next to Richie, leaning over the wooden frame and out at the ocean, ‘Well I- it was everything, my whole world and all the people in it. My life, just powering ahead and me being so powerless, so out of my depth to stop it. My family and I we- we are heading to New York for my wedding. It’s going to be a grand affair, over five hundred invited and everyone who is anyone will be there and I- I’m just so overwhelmed. Everything happened so fast. It’s as though I’m standing in a crowded room, screaming at the top of my lungs and no-one even looks up.”

“Do you love her?” Was the question that fell from Richie’s lips after his long winded pity party. Eddie’s eyes shot up in shock.

“Pardon me?”

“Do you love her, your fiancé?” Richie asked again, causing a light scoff to escape Eddie’s lips.

“You’re being extremely rude, you really shouldn’t be asking me this-”

“Well, Eds, its a simple question do you love the girl or not?” Eddie’s eyes narrowed at the name, ignoring the question.

“It’s  _Eddie_.”

“You’re ignoring the question, Eds.” Richie was smirking now, crossing his arms over his chest.

“This is absurd! You don’t know me, I don’t know you and we are _not_ having this conversation at all! You are rude, and presumptuous and I’m leaving now.” He held out his hand, shaking Richie’s firmly. “Richie, Mr Tozier. It’s been a pleasure. I sought you out to thank you and now I have-”

“And you’ve also insulted me,” Richie added, eyes sparkling, which only fuelled Eddie’s frustration with him. All the while, their hands were still moving up and down in a handshake.

“Well, you deserved it,” Eddie provided.

“Right…” Richie trailed off, the smirk still on his lips.

“Right.”

Neither of them made a move to stop the shaking of their hands, neither of them willing to give up on the argument they were currently engaged in. “I thought you were leaving?” Richie asked and Eddie pulled his hand away from him, cursing himself for missing the contact.

“Oh I am!” He let out a baffled laugh and turned to walk away. He turned his head back just slightly, “God, you are so annoying!” Then, at the sound of Richie’s hearty laugh, Eddie turned back around completely, storming back over to him. “Wait. I don’t have to leave. This is my part of the ship. You leave.”

Richie cackled again, resting his hand back on the wire in a relaxed pose, “Well well well, now who’s being rude?”

Eddie opened his mouth to let out a smart comeback, only to realise that he didn’t have one. His mouth opened and closed for a few moments before his eyes settled on the leather binder that Richie carried around with him. Reaching out, he plucked it from his grasp, “What is this stupid thing you’re carrying around anyway?” He asked, sliding it open to reveal countless drawings. _Impressive_ drawings.

Each page was a different scene, a different person in a new pose. All hand drawn charcoal sketches that knocked the breath out of Eddie at how detailed they were. “So what are you, an artist or something?” He asked as he flicked through the pages, the drawings becoming more detailed and impressive as he went. He walked over to one of the benches and took a seat, letting his eyes settle over the drawings more carefully. “These are good. Very good in fact.”

Richie didn’t say anything, he simply took a seat next to him, eyes flitting over the pages as Eddie flicked through them, “Richie this- this is fantastic work.”

At that, Eddie earned a chuckle, “They didn’t think too much of them in Paris, let me tell you.”

“You’ve been to Paris?” Eddie asked in awe, his eyes leaving the pages to look up at Richie. “You do get around for a-” As he realised what he was about to say, Eddie locked his jaw closed.

“You can say it, a poor guy,” Richie provided for him with a smile and a shrug.

Eddie turned his head back to the pages, flipping them over to reveal more...risqué drawings, both of men and women. “Well, well, well.” Eddie hummed, sending Richie a smirk. “And these were drawn from life?”

“Yeah, that’s one of the good things about Paris. Everyone is just willing to take their clothes off,” Richie explained. “Oh look at this lady,” Richie brought his attention to a drawing of an old woman dressed to the nines in almost every piece of jewellery imaginable. “She would sit at this bar every night, wearing every piece of jewellery she owned, just waiting for her long lost love.”

Eddie was in complete and utter awe, “Richie you, you have a gift. You are so incredibly talented. You see people.”

“I see you,” Richie breathed, their eyes locking for just a moment.

“And?”

“You wouldn’t have jumped.”

The smile faltered on Eddie’s face and he cleared his throat, “Shall we continue walking?” He asked, handing Richie his sketchbook back and rising to his feet. Richie hummed, falling into step with him as they continued their stroll along the main deck. Eddie was suddenly very interested in things that Richie had done in his life to get him here, on the Titanic. “So, tell me more about your life...if you want to of course.”

“I don’t mind talking about my life, Eds,” Richie hummed and this time, Eddie didn’t correct the nickname. “After I left home, I started working on a squid boat in Monterey, and then I went down to the pier Los Angeles, in Santa Monica.” Richie explained as they came to a stop at another part of the boat. Here, they had the perfect view of the sunset. “I started doing drawings for ten cents a piece.”

“Why can’t I be like you, Richie? So carefree? Able to just go wherever the wind takes you without a care in the world,” Eddie leaned against the wood with a sigh, staring out at the horizon. He turned back, a smile on his lips, “Say we’ll go there someday. To that pier, even if we only just talk about it.”

“No, no. We’ll do it,” Richie stated with a grin. “We’ll drink cheap beer, we’ll ride on the rollercoaster till we throw up and then we’ll ride horses on the beach, right in the surf. I can just see it now Eds, it’ll be amazing.”

Closing his eyes, Eddie could see it. It was so close that all he had to do was reach out and take it. Take that chance to be free, to be happy. “You know, for a man I’ve never really done much ‘manly’ things. Would you teach me?”

Richie chuckled, “Sure Eds. I’ll teach you how to chew tobacco like a man, and gamble like a man.”

“And spit like a man!” Eddie laughed out, even though it sounded more like a giggle. “What, they didn’t teach you that in finishing school?” Richie teased, sticking his tongue out.

“Oh god no,” Eddie laughed, shaking his head. “Can you imagine!”

“Come on then, I’ll show you. Let’s do it.” Richie tugged his arm over to a more easier place.

“Wait, Richie hold on! I couldn’t possibly!” Eddie protested, but he let Richie pull him along anyway, in too deep now to stop it.

“Watch closely,” Richie said before he made a gargling noise in the back of his throat, tossing his head back and spitting out into the sea. Eddie’s eyes widened and he felt his nose turn up.

“Richie, that’s disgusting!”

“Go on, your turn.” Eddie laughed nervously, glancing around before he let out a little spit, so small it vaporised in the open air. Richie scoffed, “That was pitiful. You really got to hawk it back like this,” Richie explained before letting out another spit.

Eddie cleared his throat, trying to copy Richie to the best of his ability, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught his mother and smacked Richie across the chest, stopping him. The silence coming from the three women was deafening and Eddie knew they had overheard the tail end of their conversation. “Mother!” He started, dragging Richie over to them and watching as he wiped some stray spit from his chin. ‘May I introduce, Richard Tozier?”

His mother stared at him, blinking for a moment before she spoke up, “Charmed, I’m sure.” The two other women with his mother, one of them being Beverly, were very interested in hearing about the man who had saved his life. His mother? His mother saw him as though he were an insect, a dangerous insect that had to be squashed immediately.

“Well Richie, sounds like you’re a good man to have around in a sticky situation!” Bev spoke up, breaking the tense mood his mother had created. Just after her words left her lips, the fanfare to announce dinner sounded throughout the whole ship, causing Eddie to wince and Bev to frown. “Why do they insist on announcing dinner like a damn cavalry charge?”

Eddie let out an amused laugh and turned to his mother, “Shall we go get ready mother?” He asked and she nodded, but Eddie didn’t miss the look she gave to Richie over her shoulder. As he led his mother off, he quickly turned back to Richie, “I’ll see you at dinner, Richie”

What an interesting evening it would be.

***

Richie watched as Eddie walked away with his mother with a silly smile on his lips, feeling his head a little lighter than usual. He couldn’t stop staring at the way Eddie’s curls bounced because of the wind as he walked away, until one of the women that had interrupted them snapped her long and pale fingers in front of her face.

Richie blinked and looked down at her, trying to stop smiling like an idiot. She looked at him with amusement in her blue eyes, and Richie wondered what was someone that looked so easy going and kind doing with such snobbish people.

“Do you even have any idea of what you’re doing, sweetheart?” She asking, sounding on the verge of laughing, which made Richie laugh as well.

“Uh, not really, no.” He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

“Let me tell you this, you’re about to go down into the lions pit, and they’re going to eat you alive if you don’t know how to defend yourself.” She eyed him up and down and then raised an eyebrow, looking back up at him. “Is this what you’re planning to wear?”

Richie looked down at his worn out trousers, his suspenders and the unrefined cotton shirt that he was wearing and shrugged benevolently, smiling. “Eddie knows I don’t have anything fancy.”

She sighed and shook her head, slipping her arm under Richie’s, leading inside. “I figured. Come on, follow me.”

Beverly Marsh’s cabin was so luxurious and elegant that Richie couldn’t have even imagined it. There was a large bed in the middle of the suit, mirrors and a toilette, mahogany wardrobes and thick, red velvet curtains.

Beverly was different from the other first class passengers. She reminded him of Eddie, in some way.

“There, put this on.” She said, handing Richie a box. “It’s for my cousin, I’m sure you have pretty much the same size.”

When Richie opened the box, he found a suit that was neatly folded. It was black, paired with a white shirt and a black tie. Once he had it on, the sleeves were a little too short, but it fit. More or less. He looked in the middle and barely recognized himself. No more baggy clothes on him: the suit hug his body, maybe a little too tightly, but made him look even taller. Beverly styled his black curls in a way that didn’t make his hair look like he had just woke up.

“Look at you. You shine up like a new penny.” She complimented, smoothing the jacket he was wearing on his back. “You’re going to leave them all speechless.”

Richie didn’t want to leave them _all_ speechless, but he did want to make a good impression on Eddie, which was why, half an hour later, he was waiting at the bottom of the main staircase of the ship, waiting for Eddie to show up.

His heart was beating faster than usual, and he kept worrying on his lower lip. He had no idea how to behave, what to say, how to walk and talk. He was like a fish out of the tank, struggling for oxygen out of his element.

On the bright side, no one seemed to acknowledge his presence, which meant that, at least, he did look like one of them.

A couple walked past him and an old man tilted his head to greet Richie, which made him do the same. He noticed how all the men were standing with their left arm bent behind their backs, so he did just the same, straightening his posture and keeping his head up.

Maybe he could do it. Maybe he could really pass for someone who was born and raised among the upper class.

Thing was, he wasn't sure he wanted that.

When Myra, Sonia and Henry walked past him, they didn't even recognize him nor spare him a second glance, leaving his hand unshook and his lips parted in an unspoken

greeting.

He was just about to say something, when Eddie caught his attention.

He was standing at the top of the staircase, wearing a black suit and a red waistcoat and smiling, amused. Richie blinked his eyes and closed his mouth, waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase and, making sure no one was paying attention to them, he took Eddie's hand in his and brushed his lips against his knuckles.

Eddie blushed and his eyes widened, while Richie grinned smugly. “I saw someone doing it in a movie, once. I've always wanted to do it myself.” He explained, and Eddie chuckled softly, taking his hand back.

“It's odd, you know? Seeing you here.” Eddie said with a smile, looking up at Richie and fidgeting with his black tie. “But it's nice.”

“Nice?”

“Great.” Eddie corrected himself, biting his lower lip. “Come on, follow me.”

Richie did just that, following Eddie's lead until he put a gentle hand on Myra's shoulder, making her turn around. “My dear, do you remember Richard Tozier?”

Her eyebrows knitted together and then shot up in recognition, as she was obviously taken aback by Richie's appearance. “Mr Tozier, of course. The hero.” She said, forcing herself to smile. “I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to look almost like a gentleman.” She said, clearly meaning to offend.

Richie wasn't going to let her have that satisfaction. Instead, he laughed and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. “ _Almost_ ****is the key.” He joked, making Eddie chuckle by his side.

Myra pursed her lips and looped her arm around Henry's letting Eddie walk by Richie's side, without noticing how close they were standing to each other.

Richie noticed how everyone was talking lowly, just above a whisper. Compared to the third class confusion, this silence was almost hurting his ears.

“Is it always this quiet?” Richie asked, glancing around the elegant dining room.

“It's rude to be loud in public.” Eddie explained, talking lowly. “Look, that's Mr Guggenheim. His brother owns an art gallery in New York.” He said, putting his hand on Richie's forearm. “He will join us for dinner.” He pointed at another man, that was standing with a young woman at his arm. “And that's John Jacob Astor, the richest man on the ship. His little mistress is 20, just like me, and she is in delicate conditions. Mrs Astor is at home with the kids.” He said, lowering his voice and looking at the way she used her paper fan to hide the round belly. “See how she's trying to hide it? Quite the scandal.” Richie chuckled at that, amused but how informed Eddie was about the other passengers. He should have imagined that gossip would have been first class’s favourite activity.

“Care to escort a lady to dinner?” Beverly interrupted them, grinning at them both. She was wearing a tight black dress with paillettes on the sleeves and a pearls collier around her neck. Richie smiled at her and kissed her hand, then Eddie did the same.

“It'd be my pleasure, Mrs Hanscom.” He said solemnly, letting her loop her arm around his. Eddie smiled at them, and opened his mouth to say something, but Myra called his name, demanding his company.

“I'm coming, darling.” He said, then turned to look at Richie, hopeful. “I'll see you at dinner.” He said, then he smiled at Beverly and hurried to his fiancé's side.

“You're doing great, you know? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were born and raised among these people.” Beverly complimented as they walked to the table. “Now remember that they love money, so pretend that you own an island and you're in the club.” Beverly whispered, and, once they joined the table, Richie noticed how everyone was assuming that he was one of them. Maybe some heir of a rich fortune, a bachelor ready for his debut in society, but still, no one seemed to be disturbed by his presence. They had conversations with him, the women let him kiss their hands and the men laughed and his jokes.

That, until Eddie's mother, putting her glass of champagne down, looked up at him with a sly smile. “Do tell, Mr Tozier. How's storage?”

Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention to Richie. He didn't falter, he wasn't ashamed of who he was, nor of admitting where he came from.

“Best accommodation I’ve ever seen, ma’am.” Richie replied easily, smiling. “Hardly any rats.”

At that, the whole table chuckled, pleased by his sense of humour. Everyone apart from Sonia and Myra, of course. They kept their cold gaze fixed on Richie as if they were trying to melt him with their stare.

“Mr Tozier is joining us from the third class.” Myra pointed out, smiling at the other guests. “I invited him myself, after he assisted my dearest Edward in a situation.” She explained, and the people sitting at the table eyed him curiously.

“Mr Tozier is an excellent artist.” Eddie provided, unfolding his napkin and setting it down on his knees. “He showed me his works today, he has a great talent.” Eddie smiled at him, and Richie did just the same, grateful.

“Edward thinks that anything on canvas is fine art.” Myra said, rolling her eyes. “He thinks he has such an exquisite taste, but I personally think he just likes any kind of colourful foolishness.” She drank a sip of champagne, while Eddie shot Richie an apologetic look.

“I’m glad he does.” Richie said, as one of the waiters served him some caviar. “Colourful foolishnesses are my favourite thing.”

Myra pursed her lips, while Sonia spread some caviar on a canapé. “And where do you live, Mr Tozier?”

“Right now? My address is the RMS Titanic. When we dock, well, who knows.” He said, leaving the woman completely unimpressed.

“And where do you find the money to travel, if I may ask?” She enquired again, gaining a glare from Beverly.

“Here and there. I work my way from place to place, I’ve never had anything steady.” Richie admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “If I’m being honest, I won my ticket during a game of poker.” He added, biting his roll of bread.

“What is life, if not a lucky game of poker?” Mr Astor said, laughing pleasantly and winking in Richie’s direction, while the woman by his side smiled kindly at Richie.

“So you find yourself comfortable in living such a ruthless existence?” Sonia asked him, vexed, raising a judging eyebrow and staring at Richie with disgust painted all over her serious face.

Richie felt Beverly stiffen by his side, and he was pretty sure that she was glaring at the woman.

Richie’s eyes found Eddie’s for a moment, and noticed the apologetic look that the young man was giving him.

“Well, yes, ma’am, I do. I mean, I have all I need right here with me, don’t I? I’ve got air in my lungs, I’ve got eyes that see and a mouth that speaks. I’ve got nothing to hold me back and I don’t owe anyone anything, so yeah, I like waking up in the morning and not know what’s going to happen.” He grinned at her, watching as the woman pursed her lips, and unaware of the look of complete admiration that Eddie was giving him. “A couple of nights ago I was sleeping under a bridge at the pier, and now here I am, on the grandest ship in the world, wearing a suit, drinking champagne and eating caviar with you fine people.”

There were chuckles around the table, and Beverly squeezed his forearm with a bright smile on her lips.

“Making each day count, that’s how I go by.” He concluded, downing the last sip of champagne that was in his glass, only for a waiter to immediately fill it again for him.

“To making it count.” Eddie said, looking at Richie and raising his glass for a toast.

“To making it count!” The rest of the table repeated, everyone apart from Myra and Sonia, who simply took small sips of champagne and exchanged a look.

The rest of the dinner was… interesting. He survived, which was what he took most pride in, but it was completely uneventful and dull. People talked about their estates, about Myra and Eddie’s wedding, and generally about how proud they were of the money they had. Richie learned that Eddie and his fiancé were going to pronounce their vows in three weeks and that Myra wanted all of her maids to be dressed in lilac. Eddie smiled politely, answered the questions that he was being asked and stopped the waiter from filling his glass after the third one.

Richie could read it all over his face that he didn’t want to be there, and he was going to do something about it.

“Do you have a pen?” He asked Beverly in a whisper, and she immediately provided him with a silver one. He wrote something down on a piece of paper and folded it carefully, just a second before the men started to lighten their cigars up and the women stood up, ready to go back to their cabins.

“Are you going to stay here for a while, my darling?” Myra asked Eddie, as he put a cigarette between his lips under his mother’s disapproving glare.

“Yes, I’m not tired yet.” He said, dismissively, kissing her hand before she left with Sonia, both of them ignoring Richie completely.

“It’s been a pleasure, Richard.” Beverly said with a knowing smile on her lips that Richie returned as he brushed his lips over her knuckles.

“Good night, Mrs Hanscom.” He grinned at her, letting her go and then moving towards Eddie’s chair, who was discussing something with Mr Andrews.

“Are you leaving already?” Eddie asked, looking up at him with wide eyes, looking lost for a second, which made Richie smile fondly.

“The other slaves are waiting for me to get back to work.” He joked, and Eddie chuckled under his breath. “Thank you for the nice evening.” He offered him his hand, hiding between his fingers the piece of paper.

Eddie took it and his eyes widened when he realized that Richie was giving him a note. After they let go, Richie greeted the other men and left the dining hall, looking back once and seeing Eddie biting his lower lip as he read what he had written.

* * *

_Make it count. Meet me at the clock._

Eddie’s eyes scanned over the words countless times, his cheeks probably flushed a light shade of red. The other men at the table were heavily invested in the conversation they were having, too invested to notice Eddie stand up and slowly make his way to the exit of the door.

He had two options, either he retreat back to his cabin and have an early night like his mother would have wanted, or he made it count and met Richie under the clock as he asked.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Eddie’s eyes landed on Richie, who was standing at the top with his back to him. A smile played on his lips as his mind was made up, and he slowly ascended the stairs, reaching out to touch Richie’s shoulder just lightly.

The older man spun around immediately, a wide grin plastered on his lips as he offered his hand out to Eddie, “So you want to go to a real party?”

A laugh escaped Eddie’s lips and he nodded his head, letting Richie lead the way out of the first class section and down, down into third class. He could hear the music playing before they had even entered the room, laugher radiating down the corridor. Richie pushed open the door, causing the loud music to burst through his Eddie’s eardrums, extracting a laugh from his lips. Usually everything was so quiet in his world so to be in a place with so much commotion and noise, it was exhilarating.

Men were battering their hands against drums, moving their fingers quickly against the strings of the fiddle in order to create the fun, fast paced music that surrounded the room.

Everyone had smiles on their faces, everyone was either laughing, drinking or dancing as though they didn’t have a care in the world.

Richie didn’t once let go of Eddie’s hand as he pulled him through the crowd, towards a group of young men that Eddie recognised from either that very day. The man with the curly hair stood up from his seat and pulled Richie into a half hug, slapping his back.

“How was dinner with the ships high and mighty?” He called, not noticing Eddie to begin with. “Did you eat caviar and drink fancy champagne?”

“Stan the man, don’t embarrass me in front of company!” Richie called, tugging Eddie forward. “Stan this is Eddie, Eds this is Stan the man!” Eddie gave Stan a smile, holding out his hand to which Stan took, shaking it.

“So you want to see how regular people have fun huh?” Stan asked and Eddie was uncertain for a moment until a smile made its way onto Stan’s lips. “Don’t worry. We don’t bite.”

“What Stan is trying to say, is that you are more than welcome to stay. We won’t judge you down here.” The other man who was standing a few feet away called, placing his pint down on the table and walking over. “Mike, nice to meet you.”

“Edwar- I mean, Eddie. Call me Eddie.” It was strange, not having to use his full name, a name he despised with his whole gut.

Mike offered him a seat, and Eddie accepted, sitting down and watching the way Richie interacted with his friends. He took note of his composure, how much more relaxed he was here now he could be himself.

It made guilt swarm in the pit of Eddie’s stomach at the fact that Richie had to endure a whole evening pretending to be someone he wasn’t. In that moment, he made a mental note never to ask Richie to do that ever again. Not even if he desperately wanted him to.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a little girl called Cora, who desperately wanted Richie to dance with her. Not wanting to let her down, Richie sent Eddie and apologetic glance, to which he waved off with a smile, before he tugged her up onto the wooden dance floor.

Eddie watched in awe, clapping his hands in time to the rhythm as Richie spun her around, twirling her small body under his arms as she laughed. Next to him, there were two men, trying to engage him in a conversation, but unfortunately they spoke a language that Eddie couldn’t understand. In an attempt to remove himself from the conversation, Eddie picked up a stray cigarette, putting it between his teeth and taking a drag. As the nicotine filled his lungs, he let out a relaxed sigh, closing his eyes just for a moment, enjoying himself before he picked up the pint that Mike had placed next to him and took a long gulp.

A noise from the bar caught his attention and Eddie quickly turned his head, eyes widening as he saw a man, clearly drunk, fall over a few times. The men surrounding him helped him to his feet, and Eddie was sure for a brief moment that a fight was about to break out, but instead, the man just laughed and continued to gulp the Guinness that was still half full in his hand.

A laugh bubbled up and out of Eddie’s lips at scene, something that he had never witnessed before. He turned his attention back to the dance floor where Richie was still spinning Cora around, joy evident on both of their faces. His eyes scanned across the other dancers, landing on the forms of Mike and Stan, bodies close together as they danced. The fact that not a single person in the room blinked an eye, made Eddie’s heart swell even more. He had only known these people for less than an hour, but he already desperately wanted to be a part of their simple, yet fun, lives.

The song that had been playing came to a stop, allowing the players to have a small break, to refresh themselves. The hadn’t stopped for long before a new song filled the room, and Richie bent down to Cora’s level. “I’m going to dance with him now, okay?” He turned his body to Eddie and reached for his hand, “Come on.”

“What?” The words finally settling in Eddie’s brain and the smile fell from his lips. “Richie, you have got to be kidding, no!”

Richie, however, wasn’t taking no for an answer as he pulled Eddie to his feet, “Come on, it’ll be fun. I promise!” He wrapped an arm around Eddie’s waist, pulling their bodies flush against each other, causing a gasp to leave his lips.

“I-I can’t do this, Richie.” Eddie shook his head, looking at his feet, but Richie reached his free hand up and tilted his chin up so their eyes met.

“Trust me, yeah?” Richie asked and Eddie nodded his head, giving in as he laced one of his hands with Richie’s free one, placing the other on Richie’s shoulder. Before they could start moving, Richie turned his head to Cora, who was pouting, “Don’t worry, you’re still my best girl,” he winked, causing her to smile once more.

Then they were moving, spinning quickly and in time with the music. Even though Eddie didn’t know a single step to the dance, it seemed that neither did Richie. The crowd that had formed of couples dancing helped them through the first few stumbles and before Eddie knew it they were spinning fast around the wooden board, giggles escaping his lips with every turn.

Richie’s grip on his waist was tight, keeping their bodies flush together as the music picked up the pace. It was like nothing Eddie had ever felt before and he didn’t want it to end. It did, however, as Richie brought their spinning to a stop before pulling him up onto the raised wooden platform.

“Richie, what on earth are you doing?” He exclaimed through another laugh, but Richie didn’t respond Instead he took a light grip on his suspenders and moved his feet, tapping them in a rhythm against the wood. A few other people around him began doing the same thing and Richie reached out, grabbing both of Eddie’s hands in his as he spun them around in a fast, continuous circle.

A protest was on his lips, almost begging Richie to slow down, but instead Eddie simply tilted his head back, enjoying the moment and the feeling of total and utter elation.

As the song came to a close, the dance floor almost emptied as people went to the bar to refill their drinks. Richie lightly gripped his arm and tugged him back over to the table, where Mike and one other man were engaged in an arm wrestle. Eddie watched as Richie simply leaned over the men, grabbing them two pints and passing one to Eddie.

“Thanks!” He called over the loud music, but Richie simply winked in response.

Eddie would blame the heat in the room for the blush that filled his cheeks.

As he lifted the glass to his lips, the arm wrestle was complete, causing drinks to be knocked over, spilling onto Eddie and his suit. Richie glared at the men, immediately turning his attention to Eddie, “Are you okay?”

“Yes! Yes I’m fine!” He laughed, raising his eyebrows at the men watching him. “So you think you’re all tough men huh?” He challenged and winked at them all before he brought the glass to his lips, drinking all of its contents under the wide eye of Richie. He wiped his mouth before reaching for another one, repeating the same process, and then once again with a third.

By the time he had stopped drinking, the men, including Richie, were all staring at him with wide eyes and open jaws. A proud smirk worked its way onto Eddie’s lips and his turned to Richie, who was speechless. “What? You think a first class boy can’t drink? Wimps.”

That was when the music once again, picked up speed and Richie grabbed Eddie’s hand, pulling him into the circle that danced around the room, laughter echoing off of the walls.

What Eddie wasn’t aware of however, was that Henry had witnessed the whole thing.

Richie insisted on walking him back to his cabin that night, or at least to the entrance to the first class area was. As they came to a stop, the laughter died from Eddie’s lips as his eyes settled on the sign, flashing yellow and reminding him exactly where his place was in the world. No matter what he wanted, he was never going to be able to live the life Richie lived.

Swallowing, Eddie pulled the jacket that was around his shoulders, Richie’s jacket, off and handed it back to him, “Well, here we are.”

A look passed over Richie face as he accepted the jacket, hooking it over his arm, “Right.”

Silence fell over them and Eddie tilted his head back to the door, “I don’t want to go back.” He smiled softly, letting his eyes flit up towards the night sky. It was a clear night, and the stars were all out. “Look,” he breathed and Richie’s eyes moved up too. “So vast and endless for something so small.” He walked over to the edge of the ship, hand gripping onto one of the metal wires and let out a sigh.

“My crowd, they think they are giants, but in comparison to the universe, they aren’t even dust.”

Richie was silent for a while, but as Eddie moved his head to meet his eyes, he saw a smile on his lips. “You know, there’s been a mistake. You’re not one of them. You got mailed to the wrong address.”

A hearty laugh left Eddie’s lips and he nodded his head, “I did, didn’t I?” As the words left his mouth, something in the sky caught his attention. “Oh, look!” It was a shooting star, barreling across space and disappearing.

“Wow,” Richie breathed, his face close to Eddie’s as he watched the star fade, “It was a long one,” he paused for a moment. “You know, my pops used to tell me, every time you saw one it was a soul going to heaven.” As he spoke, Eddie watched his eyes flit across the sky.

“I like that,” Eddie breathed, and Richie’s eyes glanced back down to meet his own. His breathing hitched, if only for a moment. “Aren’t you meant to make a wish?”

“Why?” Richie asked, his voice feather like, as though he was scared to break the moment. “What would you wish for?”

Eddie thought about it, if only for a moment. Richie’s eyes never left his, and Eddie never looked away. It was as though they were staring into each other’s very soul. Swallowing, he let out a soft breath.

“Something I can’t have...”

Then, with a sad smile, he bid Richie goodnight, taking the short walk back to his cabin and closing the door behind him.

That night, Eddie had a restless sleep, tossing and turning as he replayed the events of the evening over and over again in his mind. There had been nothing in his life, no event or moment, that had caused Eddie so much joy than that night had brought him. Each time Richie passed his mind, his heart would beat a little bit faster.

What a cruel twist of fate it was, to have Eddie meet his perfect match as he was being carted off to America to be married.

As morning broke, he was woken by his manservant, who informed him that Myra wished to have breakfast with him alone on the promenade deck. A sinking feeling twisted in his gut as he got dressed, before taking a very slow walk to where Myra was waiting for him.

Tea and coffee had already been set out, and Myra was gracefully holding her cup in her hand, though her eyes were like ice. “Edward, how nice of you to finally join me.” Not only her eyes that were icy, her tone was too.

Eddie moved across the deck and took a seat opposite her but made no move to pour some coffee, even though his body was aching for it after his late night. “The men said you left the dinner rather early last night,” she spoke, voice firm.

“I was tired,” He started, opening his mouth to say something else but the look in Myra’s eyes told him not to.

“Your exertions below deck were no doubt exhausting,” Myra spat and Eddie froze up. How did she know?  
  
**“** How-” then it hit him. “You had Henry follow me? Myra that’s an invasion of my privacy!”

Myra chose to ignore him, leaning forward, “You will not behave like that again Edward, do you understand me? Mingling with the third class, with that...that man. It’s disgraceful, disgusting even. I will not allow it.”

“I’m not one of your servant dogs that you can command Myra, I am your fiancé.” Eddie snapped.

“My fiancé?” Myra breathed, a harsh laugh that turned into anger as she stood up, “My fiancé!” Then, without any warning, with a single move of her hand she tossed the table and its contents to the ground. “Yes you are!”

Eddie was frozen in shock at Myra’s reaction, at her burst of aggressiveness. It was as though he were a child once more and his mother was screaming into his face about how wrong it was to play around with the stable boys. “We are practically married Edward, so you will do as I say or I will do more than knock a table to the ground, have I made myself clear?”

“Yes,” Eddie breathed, the fear in his tone apparent. Myra straightened back up and smoothed out her dress, swiftly walking back into the main cabin as the clicking of her heels faded into the distance.

One of the maids came out of nowhere, beginning to clean up the mess and Eddie bent down to her her, only to be told that they had it under control. His limbs were shaking and he swallowed thickly before standing up and rushing to his own cabin to get dressed for lunch.

As he was fixing his tie, the door knocked, causing Eddie to tense up at the thought of Myra returning. Instead he was met by the view of his mother’s reflection in the mirror as she closed the door. “Mother.”

Sonia didn’t speak, she simply tugged him towards her roughly and began fixing his clothes, before focusing on his tie. “You are not to see that boy again, do you understand me?”

First Myra and now his mother. It really did seem like the universe was out to get him.

Eddie was silent, focusing on the wall behind his mother, but she wasn’t going to take his silence as an answer, “Edward, I forbid it.”

“Oh stop it mother, you’ll give yourself a nosebleed,” Eddie snapped. Just as the words left his mouth, her thin fingers gripped his chin tight, forcing him to look at her. “This is not a game. Our situation is precarious. You know the money is gone.”

Of course Eddie knew the money was gone. Of course he knew the only reason he was being married off was so they could continue to live this lavid, yet unnecessary life.

“Of course I know it’s gone,” Eddie hissed. “You remind me every day.”

His mother’s eyes hardened, “Your father left us nothing but a legacy of bad debts hidden by a good name. That name is the only card we have left to play!” She placed her hands on his shoulders, a deadweight. “I don’t understand you Edward, it is a fine match with Myra, it ensures our survival!”

“How can you put this on my shoulders?” Eddie asked, his voice remaining hard as a stone, but curiosity leaking in as he ached to find out his mother’s answer.

“Why are you being so selfish?”

Eddie scoffed, “ _I’m_ being selfish?”

She went silent, her eyes filling with tears and Eddie knew it was coming before it happened. “Do you want to see me working as a seamstress?” She asked, her voice softening into one that she often used to guilt trip him. “Is that what you want? To see all of our fine things sold at auction? Our memories scattered to the winds?” She covered her mouth and turned away from him causing Eddie to grit his teeth.

“Mother-”

“You will marry Myra as planned, end of discussion,” she spoke, voice returning to its cold, icy tone. “Now, come here, let me fix that god awful tie of yours.”

Why did his life have to be so unfair?

* * *

He knew that it probably wasn’t a good idea. He knew that he was never going to go unnoticed, no matter if he had been there the previous night.

He knew it, but that didn’t stop him.

He needed to see Eddie, he needed to talk to him. He wasn’t sure of what he would have told him, all he knew was that their time was running short.

_Their_ time.

Richie wasn’t sure if they even had a time. Eddie was going to get married, that much was for sure, and all that Richie needed was to make sure that he was going to be okay. He knew it wasn’t up to him to interrogate Eddie over his life, but he just couldn’t help feeling involved.

And god only knew how involved Richie was.

Now that he was back in his regular, run-down clothes, every single first class passenger seemed to be noticing him, almost as if they could smell poverty. He ignored them, though. He was a man on a mission.

It was a Sunday morning, and most of the passengers were reunited for mass. Richie could hear the choir singing, so he just followed the voices, but, before he could even set a foot in the chapel, he was stopped by two members of the crew.

“Sir, you shouldn’t be here.” One of the two said, holding Richie back by raising a hand. “This is the first class section.”

“I’m well aware, thank you.” Richie said, rolling his eyes. “Look, I just need to talk to someone, it won’t take long. I was here last night, don’t you remember me?”

“I’m afraid I don’t, now please, stay back.” The man said, coldly.

“Please, I just need to-” Before he could finish his sentence, Henry opened the doors and immediately closed them behind his back. “There! He knows who I am!”

“Mr Tozier, what an unexpected pleasure.” The bodyguard said, taking the two crew members aback.

“Yeah, hi, is Edw-”

“Miss Kingston and Mr Kaspbrak continue to appreciate your assistance.” He interrupted him, under the other two men bewildered stare. “They asked me to give you this.” He said, taking a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket and handing it to Richie, who clenched his jaw.

“I don’t want your money, I just need to talk to-”

“They also asked me to remind you that you’re in possession of a third class ticket, and that your presence here is no longer appreciated.” He said, coldly.

“Please, I just need to talk to Eddie for one second!” Richie protested, but Henry was already giving the money to the man by his right.

“Can you gentlemen please escort Mr Tozier back where he belongs? And make sure he _stays_ there?”

“Please! I just need a goddamn second!” Richie tried again, but the men were already pulling him away, dragging him back to his deck.

So yeah, maybe walking straight into the first class section hadn’t been the most brilliant idea Richie had ever had, but that wasn’t going to stop him.  
**“** I need to see him again. Even if it’s just for a single second.” Richie muttered, staring at the blank sheet of paper in front of him and fidgeting with the pencil in his hand. “I just have to.” Stan and Mike exchanged a look, a questioning one, and Richie looked up at them. “You’re going to help me.”

“How?” Stan asked, folding his arms on his chest and looking at him as if he was talking nonsense.

“I don’t know. Help me sneak in the first class section. Distract the crew, so I can go talk to him.”

“You do realise that this is crazy, right? You’ve tried already, it didn’t work. Plus, just because you’ve talked and he’d joined us last night, doesn’t mean that he wants to see you again. He’s still a posh, aristocratic, rich guy, don’t forget that.” Stan pointed out, and Mike put a hand on his shoulder.

“What Stan’s trying to say, is that you can’t compromise the rest of your journey for a boy you barely know.”

“I do know him.” Richie protested, looking up at his friends and closing the sketchbook that was in his lap. “I do know him, and I need to see him. So _please_ help me.”

They did help him.

They helped him climbing up to the first class’ deck, where Richie stole a coat from a sun bed and wore it quickly, hoping that it would have made him look a little bit more sophisticated. He pushed his hair back and he was just about to go back inside, when he heard Mr Andrew’s and Eddie’s voice’s. They were strolling around the deck, alongside Myra and Sonia, talking about the life boats and complimenting the ship’s solidity.

Richie, when Eddie walked past him without noticing him, grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the empty gym, making him gasp and look at him with wide, surprised eyes.

“Richie, this is-” He started, shaking his head, looking conflicted. “You shouldn’t be here. I can’t see you.” He moved to the door, but Richie stopped him, holding his forearm.

“What are you talking about? I thought that we-”

Eddie leaned against the wall and looked up at him, sighing. “Richie, I’m engaged.” He reminded him. As if Richie needed to be reminded of that. “I’m marrying Myra. I _love_ Myra.”

Richie swallowed the knot in his throat down and stared into Eddie’s big, brown eyes, reading how unconvinced he was all over them.

He wasn’t in love with Myra. How could he be? They had nothing in common, not a single shared interest.

Maybe, if Eddie was just like the other first class men, he could have loved her. If not love her, tolerate her. But Eddie wasn’t born to live among those shallow people, he was made to be free and reckless and speak his mind, and Richie couldn’t believe that everyone had tried to tell him otherwise until that point.

“Look, Eddie, you’re no fucking picnic, okay? You’re a spoiled little brat, if I’m being completely honest.” Eddie scoffed, looking offended, and Richie grinned, moving a little closer to him. “No, listen to me, you are.” Richie insisted, sliding the hand that was on Eddie’s arm down, so that their fingers were brushing together. “But you’re also the most amazing, the most wonderful boy- _man_ , I’ve met in my entire life.” Eddie blinked his eyes, looking at Richie as his features softened. “They’re keeping you trapped, Eds. And, whether you like it or not, this is going to kill you. Maybe not soon, maybe not in the near future, but sooner or later that spark that I love so much about you is going to burn out.”

Eddie stared at him with wide eyes, bewildered by Richie's confession. He was holding his breath, Richie could see that, but he hadn't slapped him nor ran away, so Richie took it as his cue to continue.

“I wasn't born yesterday, I know what kind of world we live in. I have absolutely nothing to give you, I can't promise you a fancy life, but I _see_ ****you and-” He sighed closing his eyes for a second before he raised his hand, brushing his fingers over Eddie's soft cheek. “I just need to know that you're okay. That you'll be okay.”

Eddie's lashes fluttered as Richie stroked his fingers over his cheeks and a flush of pink coloured them. “I am okay. I will be just fine, Richie. Stop worrying about me.” He said, taking Richie's hand and pulling it away from his face.

“I can't.” Richie said, matter of factly. “I'm involved.”

“No one asked you to get involved.” Eddie pushed himself away from the wall, trying to escape Richie's closeness. “And it's not up to you to help me.”

“You're right.” Richie nodded, wanting nothing more than to reach out for him and hold him between his arms, even if it was just for a second. “That's up to you.”

Eddie looked at him without saying anything for a moment, then he shook his head. “I need to go back now. Leave me alone.”

He walked out of the gym, slamming the door behind his back and leaving Richie alone.

He sat down on a wooden chair, taking his face between his hands and then running them through his hair, pushing the curls away from his forehead.

How cruel it was, to be in love with someone who couldn't love him back.

* * *

Eddie easily caught back up with the party, turning his head back just once more to see if Richie had followed him. Deep down a part of him hoped that he would.

He didn’t.

No-one had seemed to have taken notice of his brief absence and as they reached the door that would take the ladies into the recreational room for tea, his mother turned to him. “Edward, would you care to join me for tea?” She asked. It was laced as a question, but she left no room for argument.

“Yes, mother.” He offered his arm to Myra, but she declined.

“I am going to rest for a few hours before dinner. Today has been an...emotional day.” With one last look at Eddie, she turned on her heel and walked the opposite way down the deck, followed closely by Henry and Patrick.

He followed his mother into the room and they were shown to a table and immediately served some tea. A few moments later, they were joined by some of his mother’s acquaintances who helped themselves to the scones that had been provided for them.

It wasn’t long before the conversation striked up, causing Eddie to fall into an almost catatonic state. His mother was rattling on about the wedding, about the invitations being in the wrong font and how Myra was so upset that the bridesmaids dresses were ugly and in _lilac._

If Eddie had to be completely honest, he would have insisted they kept the colour, just to spite her.

As the boring conversation continued, Eddie let his mind wander to Richie, to how amazing he felt when he was with him. His eyes scanned across the room, landing on a mother scolding her daughter for using her napkin wrong. At the sight he felt himself tense up, the girl couldn’t have been any older than the age of six, and yet she was being told to act like a porcelain doll. Did he want his children, if he had any children, to grow up under the same strict rules and lifestyle that he did?

The honest truth was that he didn’t. He didn’t want to bring children into this world and raise them to be spoiled brats.

That’s what Richie had called him. A spoiled brat.

Eddie let his mind wander over the other things that Richie had told him. Every word he had spoken was the truth, he was spoiled and he _was_ ****trapped. He was trapped in a life with no means of escaping. At least, not permanently.

With his mind made up, Eddie excused himself from the table, ignoring his mother’s stares as he rushed out of the room and down into third class, to the room where the party had been the night before.

It was no longer the busy place Eddie had experienced the night before, instead it was littered with people who were enjoying a quiet evening before dinner. His eyes scanned the room, hoping to settle on a familiar face, and his eyes caught those of Mike and Stan.

They looked somewhat alarmed by his presence, but Eddie pushed those thought to the back of his mind as he approached them, “Richie- where can I find him?”

“Edwar-” Stan began with a shake of his head, only for Mike to interrupt him.

“You’ll likely find him at the bow of the ship. He likes to watch the sunset.” Eddie was already rushing to the door, yelling a call of thanks as he stumbled back up the stairs and towards the bow of the ship.

He spotted Richie right away, leaning against the railing and staring out at the sea. His frantic steps slowed down into a quiet walk as he approached him, a smile on his face. “Hello, Richie,” he spoke, breaking the silence and causing Richie to spin around, eyes wide in shock. “I changed my mind.”

Richie’s lips turned up into a smile and he stepped down, slowly walking over to him and reaching out a hand, “Give me your hand.” Without hesitation, Eddie reached out, lacing their fingers together and letting Richie pull him up towards the railing. His heart was hammering in his chest, but there was no feeling of regret. “Now close your eyes,” Richie breathed, and Eddie complied, letting his lids fall closed, giving Richie his complete trust.

He felt Richie move behind him, squeezing his hand and placing his free one on the small of his back, guiding him up until he was standing right in front of the raining, “Now hold on to the railing, but keep your eyes closed. Don’t peek.”

“I’m not,” Eddie breathed, keeping his eyes firmly closed and gripping onto the railing as tight as he could.

“Okay, now step up onto the rail. Don’t worry Eds, I’ve got you okay?” Richie breathed into his ear and Eddie nodded, lifting a foot up onto the railing, followed by his other foot. He reached out and grabbed something sturdy in front of him, allowing him to keep his balance. “Do you trust me?” Richie asked and Eddie let out a small breath.

Because he did trust Richie. Wholeheartedly.

“I trust you.”

From behind him, he felt Richie step up onto the railing and reach both of his arms down Eddie’s, lacing their fingers together and bringing his arms upwards, so they were spread out on either side of him, almost like he was pretending to be an airplane. Once his arms were firm, Richie let go of his hands and placed them on his waist instead. A breathless laugh fell from his lips, but he kept his eyes closed, and would keep them closed until Richie told him otherwise.

“Okay, open your eyes,” he whispered and Eddie swallowed, allowing his lids to flutter open, taking in the sight before him.

It was as though the breath had been knocked out of him. From his position, he couldn’t see a single part of the ship, only the sea and the wind in his hair. It felt like he was flying.

“Richie-” He cut himself off, as he couldn’t think of a single thing to say that would explain how perfect this moment was.

Richie moved his hands back from his waist and along the expanse of his arms to settle over his hands. Eddie let out a small breath as their fingers moved against each others, tangling and untangling as Richie’s breath moved to his ear.

“ _Eddie, my love, I love you so-oh_

_How I've wanted you, you'll never no-oh_

_Please Eddie, don't make me wait too long”_

Eddie closed his eyes, letting the song Richie was singing make him feel warm all over as their fingers continued to play with each other’s, before Richie finally laced them together and slowly brought them inwards towards his chest.

Slowly, Eddie turned his head to the side, meeting Richie’s eyes almost immediately. Reflected in the blue orbs was not one ounce of regret, so Eddie swallowed and leaned forward, _finally_ , closing the distance between them. Richie’s lips were soft, and it send shivers right down Eddie’s spine, all the way to his toes.

On instinct, he brought a hand up, brushing it over the skin of Richie’s cheek and then around to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck, keeping it there as their lips moved against each other in a deep, passionate embrace. With his other hand, he gripped onto Richie’s arm more firmly, both out of passion and for the need to balance himself.

Here, right in this moment with Richie, was where Eddie was always meant to be.

* * *

“That was the last time Titanic ever saw daylight,” Eddie whispered, turning his face away from the screen and rubbing his eyes. Retelling his tale was more exhausting than he ever could have imagined, but the more he spoke, the more weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Slowly, he was finding closure.

Bill nodded his head slowly, the other members of the crew who were listening to his story all staring at him. “So we’re up to dusk the night of the sinking. Six hours to go.”

“Unbelievable,” Adrian, Bill’s right hand man spoke up with a frustrated sigh, “There’s Smith, and he’s standing there and he’s holding the iceberg warning in his hand and he’s ordering more speed!”

“He’s got 26 years of experience behind him,” Bill explained, crossing his arms, “He figures anything big enough to sink the ship, they’re going to see in time to turn.” As he spoke, Eddie’s eyes flitted across to the screens behind him. “But the ships too big with too small a rudder. He has no idea that everything he knows is wrong.”

They paused for an hour or two, allowing Eddie to eat and refresh himself. He took the time to allow himself some fresh air, stepping out onto the deck and taking a seat on one of the benches.

No less than five minutes later, he was joined by Bill. “I have to thank you, for coming out here and sharing your story with us. I know that it must be incredibly difficult for you.”

“It hurts, I admit, to pick away at the memories of the past that I had long locked away, but, I needed closure Mr Denbrough. It just so happens that you are helping me get that.” He stared out at the sea for a few more moments, closing his eyes as he thought about the fact that the ship of dreams was almost directly below them, two miles under the sea.

Silence stretched out between them until Eddie finally stood up to make his way back inside. Bill followed him closely, making sure he wasn’t going to fall. Once they were back in the small room, Eddie inhaled once more.

“After the sun had set, Richie and I headed back to my cabin, as he was curious to see exactly how the other half lived…”

* * *

With a laugh, Eddie unlocked the door to the main cabin, allowing Richie to enter and closing the door behind him. “It’s quite proper I assure you, this is the sitting room.”

He pulled off his coat and hung it up, watching Richie in awe as he admired the room and the objects in it, “Wow, some of this stuff is really expensive.”

“Everything in here is practically priceless in my mother’s eyes. Which makes it useless to me, why own something you can never really touch?” He mused, “Will this light do?”

“Huh?” Richie turned back around, a curious expression on his face.

“Well, don’t artists need good light?”

Richie laughed and put on his worst french accent, wiping his finger along the mantle place, “This is true, but I’m not used to working in such horrible conditions!”

Another giggle bubbled up and out of Eddie’s throat and he tugged Richie through into his own personal room. Picking up the key from under his pillow, he unlocked the drawer that contained the necklace that he still had yet to give to Myra.

“Will we be expecting company any time soon?” Richie asked as he looked around, his eyes wide with wonder.

“I doubt it, I overheard mother talking about a ladies evening in the Grand Hall. It should keep them busy for a while at least,” Eddie explained, unlocking the drawer and pulling out the necklace.

He walked back over to Richie, holding it in the palm of his hand, the weight of it already causing him discomfort. As he set his eyes on it, Richie let out a low whistle, “Nice, what is it, a sapphire?”

“A diamond, a very rare diamond. It was a token for me to give to Myra for our engagement. I just haven’t given it to her yet,” he explained with a sigh. Then, a smile played on his lips as he thought of something. “Richie, I want you to draw me like the men and women in your sketchbook. Wearing this and _only_ this.” At first, it was meant to be a joke, but as he met Richie’s eyes, he could see there was no amusement there.

“Okay,” he breathed, passing the necklace back to him.

“Okay?” Eddie whispered back, his throat closing up at the thought. He was really about to do this, to do one of the most adventurous things of his entire life. “Okay.”

Richie swallowed thickly and nodded his head, stepping away and moving over to the sofa, dragging it along the floor to find it’s perfect position. Eddie watched for a few moments before he backed up into the bathroom, shedding his clothes and pulling on one of the silk bathrobes that hung next to the door. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage, his mouth running dry.

Eventually, he opened the door, Richie’s eyes darting up to meet his own from where he was sat on a chair opposite a sofa. The room had been completely rearranged to make sure he was sitting in the best light. Eddie smiled, leaning against the doorframe for a moment before he sauntered towards Richie, “The last thing I need, is another picture of me looking like a proper gentleman,” he held out his and dropped a ten cents piece into Richie’s palm. “As a paying customer, I expect to get what I want.”

Taking a few steps back, Eddie moved his hands to the shoulders of the robe and dropped it off his shoulders. The necklace hung from his neck, settling heavily in the middle of his chest. His eyes met Richie’s only to see a pair of wide eyes staring back at him.

“Um, over on the bed- I mean the couch,” Richie rambled and Eddie held back a snort at how nervous he sounded. He wasn’t the one completely naked, and yet he was the most nervous of the two.

Eddie complied, walking over to the couch and taking a seat, waiting for Richie to direct him or position him where he wanted. “Where do you want me?”

Richie cleared his throat, “Um, okay. Lie down,” he instructed, and Eddie pushed his whole body onto the couch, lying back against the pillows like Richie asked. “Perfect now, put your left arm up over your head, and put your right just by your face, just grazing your cheek. Yes, perfect.”

Eddie felt a smile work onto his lips as he did exactly what Richie wanted him to do, “Tell me when it looks right,” he breathed.

“Now, just tilt your head down just a little bit for me Eds, and keep your eyes on me,” Richie picked up his sketchbook and pencil, ready to get to work. “Try to stay very still

okay?” With a nod of Eddie’s head, Richie got to work, his brow settling in a frown as he concentrated, his hand moving the pencil across the paper.

“So serious,’ Eddie teased, a light smile on his lips, coaxing one from Richie, yet his focus didn’t falter for a second.

He was a professional after all.

Eddie remained as still as possible as Richie worked, even though his heart was pounding the whole time. He watched as Richie’s eyes got lower, a blush rising up on his already tanned cheeks as he reached with his other hand to push his glasses back up his nose.

“I believe you are blushing Mr Big Artiste,” Eddie mumbled and Richie looked up, only for a moment before he cast his eyes back to his work. “I can’t imagine Monsieur Monet blushing.”

Richie scoffed at that, stopping the movement of his hand just slightly, “Eds, you know perfectly well he does landscapes.” Eddie grinned. “Just relax your face.”

“Sorry,” Eddie breathed, licking his lips and returning his face to a more neutral pose.

The rest of the time was passed in silence, Eddie focusing on Richie’s moving hands as he drew, completely enamoured. That moment, lying there on the sofa wearing nothing but a diamond necklace, was the most erotic moment of his life, to date. Eddie wasn’t sure anything could beat the way he felt, the way Richie made him feel with just his eyes and his eyes alone.

When Richie was finished, Eddie slipped off of the couch and pulled the robe back on, tying the ends. He moved over to where Richie was sitting, wrapping his arms around his neck as he dated it.

_April 14th 1912. RT._

He folded the leather binder over, handing it to Eddie who smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Richie’s in the lightest of kisses. “Thank you,” he mumbled against his mouth.

“The pleasure was all mine, Eds,” he breathed back. He moved to pull away but Eddie moved his hand into his hair, holding him firm.

Richie laughed, kissing him back more deeply before Eddie finally let him go, walking through into the main suite where the safe was and taking off the necklace before grabbing a pen, scribbling out a note for Myra.

**_Here. Now you can keep the both of us locked away in a safe - Edward._ **

“What are you doing?” Richie asked and Eddie just smiled, handing him the necklace and the note.

“Will you put them in the safe for me whilst I change?” He asked and Richie nodded, taking the box in which the necklace was kept, as well as the drawing and putting them in the safe that Eddie had opened up a few moments ago.

A few moments later, Eddie emerged from the bathroom to Richie blowing into his hands, “It’s getting cold out there-” his eyes landed on him and he looked up and down his body. He was wearing a simple white shirt and a blue waistcoat. “You look beautiful.”

Just as the words left his lips, there was a knock on the door, Henry’s voice drifting through. “Edward? Are you in there?”

_Oh shit._

_* * *_

Richie couldn’t help but laugh when Eddie grabbed his hand and tugged him across the room, turning his head every other second to make sure that Henry wasn’t following them.

He was.

And it only made him laugh more.

They ran straight out of Eddie’s suite door, yanking it open, and all the way through the corridor, heading to the elevator. The people around them looked as they ran with wide, scandalized eyes, but they didn’t care. All they cared about was get rid of that bloodhound that was following them. It felt like they were men on the run, men that needed to hide, change identities and life, and Richie was ready for all of that. He was ready to give up that very little he had for Eddie.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Eddie said, pushing the elevators doors open and pulling Richie inside after him. “Take us down.” He said to the valet, who promptly closed the gate and pulled the lever.

Henry, being a second too late, punched the grill, snarling, while Eddie grinned up at him and raised his middle finger, making Richie snort and wrap an arm around his waist.

He was so in love.

“That Bowers’ a fucking nightmare.” Richie said, catching his breath. They stepped out of the elevator, finding themselves in the lowest section of the ship, holding hands and giggling like children. “He’s like a damn flatfoot.”

“His father was a sheriff, I believe.” Eddie said, running a hand through his hair and shaking his hand. “Not sure about what Henry used to do before Myra took him under her wing, though.” He said, smoothing the shirt he was wearing on his stomach and looking up at Richie. “They're fucking perfect for each other, though.”

Richie smiled at him and, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, he put his hands on his hips and pushed him against the wall, resting their foreheads together. “You’re going to be in so much trouble after this, Mr Kaspbrak.”

Eddie grinned and wrapped his arms around Richie’s neck, loosely. “I couldn’t care less, Mr Tozier.”

He felt good. It felt good to have Eddie so close, his arms around his neck and his breath against his lips. Richie thought that he could have died a happy man now that he had tasted Eddie’s lips and he knew what his most genuine and careless laugh sounded like. Thing was, he didn’t want to die. He wanted to spend the rest of his days by Eddie’s side. Making him laugh again and again and tasting those lips whenever he could. That was how he wanted to live, anything else be damned.

Richie was just about to dip his head and lean closer to kiss him, when he saw Henry on the other side of the door, through its porthole.

“Holy shit, how the fuck-?”

“Run!” Eddie laughed, tugging Richie along all over again, leading him though the ship’s corridors until they found a door that led to the engine room. They locked it once they were on the other side and ran down the stairs, where everything smelled like iron and charcoal and hot puffs of smoke steamed out of the machines. Sweaty, dirty men were working down there, looking exhausted and sharing clueless glances when they saw Richie and Eddie walk towards the nearest exit.

It was hot and probably very dangerous, but once again, they couldn’t bring themselves to care. Eddie was running in front of Richie and nothing could have stopped him. Nothing except for Richie’s hand when it wrapped around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks and making him turn around.

“What?” He asked, breathlessly, looking up at Richie and tilting his head to the side with a questioning look.

Richie thought that words were overrated, and that he didn’t need them in that very moment.

He cupped Eddie’s cheek with a hand and brought their lips together, kissing him like his life depended on it, as if Eddie was his last source of oxygen. Their lips slid together, Eddie’s fingers found their way through Richie’s curls and _tugged_ , which made him groan and wrap his free arm around the boy’s waist. He kissed his way down Eddie’s jaw and all the way down his neck, nipping at the soft skin and earning whimpers and low curses.

When Richie pulled away, Eddie’s cheeks were flushed, his lips were swollen and his eyes glassy. “Come on, let’s go.” He prompted him, intertwining their fingers together and leading the younger boy on the other side of another closed door.

Eddie willingly followed him, letting himself relax and be led, trusting Richie with his life. That was the greatest gift could have given to Richie: the fact that he trusted him so blindly, made Richie feel warm right in his heart.

They found themselves in the storage room, where everything was silent and cold. Eddie shivered, and Richie promptly wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close and kissing the side of his head.

The room was huge, stuffed with boxes, containers and fancy vehicles. They wandered around, amazed by the amount of stuff that that ship could carry. “Look at that thing.” Richie said, wolf whistling and adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he let his eyes linger on a freshly polished, burgundy Renault. “Holy shit. This is more expensive than I am.” He joked, leaving his fingerprint on the side of the car.

Eddie giggled and rested his head against Richie’s shoulder. “This is mine. Well, my father’s, but when he passed it became mine.” He said, making Richie’s brows shot up.

“Pretty little thing you’ve got here, Eds.”

“It’s just a stupid car.” Eddie shrugged. “Do you want to take her on a ride?” He asked, and Richie grinned, opening the back door for him.

Once Eddie was seated inside, Richie climbed on the driver’s seat, sitting up straight and smiling when he heard Eddie pull the window that was between them down.

“Where to, monsieur?” He asked, in a bad french accent.

Eddie wrapped his arms around Richie’s shoulders and kissed him under his ear. “To the stars.” He whispered, and Richie didn’t have the time to process what Eddie had said as he was being pulled backwards. He slid through the open window and flopped down in the spot next to Eddie, giggling and looking up at him with a surprised expression.

His laughter, though, died out pretty quickly when he saw the serious look on Eddie’s face.

The boy’s cheeks were slightly flushed and his eyes couldn’t keep still as they scanned Richie’s face and torso. They were holding hands, and Richie didn’t need to be told that, maybe, something grander than any ship in the world was about to happen.

Eddie brought Richie’s hand up to his lips and, slowly, started kissing his fingertips, as he finally set his eyes on Richie’s. His lips were soft and warm, and Richie wanted nothing more than to lean closer and kiss him senseless.

But that night wasn’t about Richie. It was all about Eddie, and Richie was more than happy to just follow his pace and let him have whatever he was willing to ask and to take.

“Are you nervous?” Richie asked, cupping Eddie’s cheek and bumping their noses together, softly.

“I’m not nervous.” Eddie spoke lowly, leaning into Richie’s touch and letting his eyes flutter closed. “I’m happy. I never want this to end.” He admitted, opening them again to look up at him. Richie smiled and wrapped an arm around Eddie, leaning a little closer. “It doesn’t have to end.”

“But it will.” Eddie said, looking down as sadness painted his face. “It will, and there’s nothing we can do to change things.” He closed his eyes, and Richie kissed his forehead.

“Don’t think about it.”

“How can I not think about it? We’ll dock in two days, and-” Richie interrupted him by pressing their lips together, shutting Eddie up and feeling him melt against his body. Yes, they were going to dock in two days. After that, after two more days of blind love, Richie was probably never going to see Eddie again, he was well aware of that.

Eddie was going to get married, and God only knew what was going to happen to Richie. He didn’t want to think about it. They still had some time, and Richie didn’t want to waste that time by being sad or melancholic.

Eddie kissed him back slowly, gently, letting his fingers run through Richie’s tangled curls. They pulled away from each other and Richie was fairly sure that the blue of his eyes was being swallowed by the black of his pupils. Eddie was flushed and his lips were glistening with spit, and it was the most gorgeous thing his eyes had ever seen.

“Put your hands on me.” Eddie whispered, looking at Richie through his lashes and pushing himself up to kiss Richie again, more firmly, deeper, and pushing his jacket off of his shoulders at the same time.

Richie was all too happy to comply. He opened the buttons of Eddie’s shirt and leaned down to mouth at his collarbone and run his hands up and down his sides. Eddie felt weightless in his arms as he dropped his head on the backseat and Richie climbed on top of him, holding his cheek with a hand as he used the other to brush his thumb over Eddie’s nipple and making him whimper in his mouth.

“Richie, I’ve-” He gasped, bearing his neck as Richie kissed down his skin. “I’ve never done this before.” He admitted, trying to catch his breath.

Richie looked up at him, licked his lips and leaned down to kiss him. “Do you want me to stop?”

Eddie shook his head, gripping Richie’s shoulders and smiling at him. “I just- I don’t know what to do.” Richie grinned, then Eddie reached down into his pocket. “But I figured we were going to need this.” He said, biting his lower lip.

In his hand was a small bottle of almond oil, a very expensive one. Richie snorted and grabbed it, twisting it between his fingers and raising his eyebrows in amusement. “Well, well, well, look at this.” He teased, making Eddie blush and slap his arm. “Someone came prepared.”

“One of us had to.” Eddie wittily replied, opening the buttons of Richie’s shirt. “But if you’re not interested, just put it away.”

Richie grinned and shook his head, brushing his thumb over Eddie’s lower lip. “You’re a menace, Eddie Kaspbrak.” He said, looking at him in awe. “I don’t think that anyone could tame you. Ever.”

Eddie smiled and kissed Richie’s thumb’s pad. “I don’t need to be tamed.” Eddie said, reaching up to cup Richie’s cheek as well. “Just loved.”

Richie’s heart swelled at Eddie’s words. He kissed him again, deeply, pouring all the affection and the love he felt towards him in that kiss. They wrapped their arms around each other and Richie settled between the cradle of Eddie’s thighs, feeling more at home than he had ever felt anywhere else before.

They made a quick job of undressing each other, until they were skin against skin and the windows were starting to fog up. Richie was hard, harder than he had ever been before, and Eddie wasn’t any different. They were grinding against each other, mouthing at each other’s sweaty skin, kissing and biting and sucking.

“Rich-” Eddie choked on his own breath and his hands slid down to cup Richie’s ass. “I need-”

“I’ve got you.” Richie spoke hotly in his ear. He blindly reached for the bottle of almond oil and poured some in his hand. “It might hurt.” He admitted.

“It’s okay.” Eddie reassured him, spreading his legs a little wider.

“Are you still sure about this?”

“Positive.”

Richie coated his fingers and rubbed them together to warm the oil up. Eddie was looking up at him with such huge and trusting eyes that Richie almost felt unworthy of touching him. “Now relax. I’ll make you feel good.” He promised, whispering against his lips.

“You always make me feel good.” Eddie murmured, stroking his hair and bringing their lips together in a soft kiss that he broke as soon as Richie’s middle finger brushed against his hole, making him shiver.

It took them long. Maybe even longer than it was necessary, but Richie wanted to make sure that Eddie wasn’t going to feel too much pain or discomfort.

The younger man’s chest and cheeks were flushed and his forehead was coated with a thin layer of sweat. His lips were parted and his hips were thrusting up to meet Richie’s fingers. The sounds that left his mouth were music to Richie’s ears. Each whimper, each whine, each moan went straight to Richie’s erection, making it hard for him to think coherently when all his mind was screaming at him to do was to push inside of the warm comfort of Eddie’s body and chase his release.

He wouldn’t have done it with anyone else. If Eddie was anyone else, he would have already started thrusting in and out of them, making it quick and satisfying without minding too much whether there were feelings involved or not. He wasn’t one to do feelings.

Or, at least, he had thought he wasn’t.

“Richie, I’m ready, I swear.” Eddie whimpered, squeezing Richie’s biceps and chewing on his lower lip. Richie, at that point, was easily thrusting three fingers inside him, curling them so that they would brush against Eddie’s prostate with every stroke. “Come on, please, I need you, I need you.” He pleaded, reaching up for Richie’s lips. “I _need_ you.”

Richie wasn’t one to deny Eddie anything.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he pulled his fingers out. Eddie’s face twisted in discomfort, and Richie immediately kissed the crease that had formed between his brows.

“I’m so glad it’s you.” Eddie murmured, as a tear rolled down his cheek. “I just-” He cupped Richie’s cheeks and kissed him, and Richie dived into that kiss, feeling his heart hammering in his chest.

When he finally pushed inside of Eddie, they both moaned and held onto each other tighter. Eddie squeezed his eyes shut, and Richie kissed them, then his cheeks, then his lips. It was hot, messy, and all too good, and Richie never wanted it to end.

Eddie wrapped his legs around Richie’s waist as their bodies rocked together, making the car rock back and forth with them. The windows were completely fogged up and the air inside of the car was thick and hot, making it hard for them to breathe. Not that they cared, anyway.

Eddie was hot beneath him and boiling around him. His short and well trimmed nails were scraping shooting stars on his back and his lips sucking roses on his neck and shoulders. Richie had never felt better in his entire life.

“It feels so good, so good.” Eddie cried, arching his back and choking back a sob. “Richie-”

“I know, I know, I’ve got you.” He moaned, pushing Eddie’s thighs higher against his chest, so that the angle would change. That, finally, made Eddie scream and cry with every thrust and a chant of “ _Richie, Richie, Richie_ **”** started leaving his lips.

He lost any sense of rhythm. He started fucking Eddie desperately, moaning his name and holding his hips in place as he thrust deeper and faster. “Eddie, I’m not gonna last, I’m close, I’m so fucking close-”

“Come inside me.” Eddie grabbed a fistful of Richie’s hair and kissed him, hard. “I’m yours, I’m yours.”

“I love you.” Richie cried, hitting that sweet spot inside Eddie once more. That made the boy arch his back and slam his hand against the foggy window. He cried out in pleasure, coming between their stomachs and going as taut as a violin’s string.

Richie followed him less than three thrusts later, burying himself deep inside of his lover and biting Eddie’s shoulder as he came.

Eddie’s legs felt like jelly around him and, as soon as he let go of them, Eddie dropped them down by his sides. Richie collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily and seeing nothing but a blur of white spots in front of his eyes.

“Here.” Eddie said quietly, pushing Richie’s glasses back on his nose.

He hadn’t even noticed that he wasn’t wearing them anymore.

Richie kissed his hand and rested his head against Eddie’s chest. He didn’t pull out of him. He just stood still, lids half closed and listening to Eddie’s heart.

They were quiet for a while. Eddie, every now and then, left a kiss between Richie’s hair, as his fingers drew patterns on his sweaty skin. Richie, on the other hand, was about to fall asleep in the comfort of Eddie’s body.

“Did you mean it?” Eddie asked, breaking the silence.

Richie blinked his eyes open and left a kiss on his collarbone. “What?”

“That you love me. You said you love me.” He twisted a lock of Richie’s hair around his index finger. “I was wondering if it was just the heat of the moment.”

“Do you want it to be the heat of the moment?” Richie asked, looking up at him.

“I don’t want you to lie to me.” Eddie answered, honestly.

“Good.” Richie smiled at him and pushed his glasses back. “I didn’t lie to you. I’ve _never_ lied to you.”

Eddie grinned, lazily, and intertwined their fingers together. “Okay.” He nodded, resting his head back against the leather of the car seats. “I love you too.”

As much as Richie would have loved to just lay there, comforted by the warmth of Eddie's body and calmed down by the sound of his heartbeat, they had to go. Bowers was probably still looking for them, and there aren't too many places to hide in on a ship. They put their clothes back on and giggled like teenagers as they stumbled out of the car, hand in hand.

“Where to, now?” Eddie asked looking up at Richie and chewing on his lower lip.

“Third class deck. I could use a cigarette.”

* * *

It was freezing. The cold air slapped them in the face when they walked upstairs, but neither of them cared too much, or spared it another thought. Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie's waist and pulled him close for a kiss, smiling against his soft lips and tucking a strand of his soft hair behind his ear.

“I want to come with you.” Eddie breathed, looking at Richie like he was his sun, his moon and all the stars combined. “When we dock. I want to come with you, no matter where you're going. Just promise you'll take me with you.”

Richie could hardly believe his ears. Eddie wanted to give up everything. His family, his plans, his money, his life as he knew it, all for him. He wanted to follow him, and he didn't even care about where he was going.

“Are you sure?”

He needed to make sure. He needed to _be_ ****sure.

“Positive.” Eddie grinned, cupping Richie's cheeks and stroking his sharp cheekbones with his thumbs. “I _love_ ****you. I love you so much, Richie.”

And Richie kissed him, because there wasn't much else to say. They loved each other, and everything else was just noise in the background.

And then a phone, in the distance, rang. Someone screamed. The ship vibrated. Ice fell on the deck, knocking a man that was walking there out. Richie shielded Eddie with his body and Eddie grabbed Richie's shirt with his hands as the wooden tiles beneath their feet kept trembling and the bottom of the ship roared.

“What's going on?!” Eddie asked, gripping onto Richie.

They saw the iceberg as the ship sailed next to it. An enormous, terrifying iceberg.

“Do you think-”

“I don't know.” Richie told him.

But he knew well enough.

* * *

It didn't take long for the ship to stop altogether. People had started gathering around the ice on the deck. Some of them even used the bigger pieces as soccer balls, kicking them back and forth and laughing. Richie grabbed Eddie's hand, moving away from the third class deck and up to the first class’, where Mr Andrews, the captain, Mr Ismay and a couple of other men were walking fast and talking even faster.

“... That's five compartments!” Mr Andrews was saying, almost angrily, at Mr Ismay. “She can stay afloat with four compartments flooded, but not five.”

“The pumps-” The captain started, but Mr Andrews shook his head.

“The pumps buy you time, but only a few minutes.”

Richie stared as they hurried into a private room, squeezing Eddie's hand in his.

“This is bad, Eds.” He whispered, his heart pumping fast in his chest cold sweat on the back of his neck.

“I don't understand, they said this ship couldn't sink!” Eddie said, terror painted all over his face.

“She’s made of iron, babe. She can.” Richie turned his head to look at Eddie, feeling just as scared as Eddie looked. “And I'm pretty sure she will.”

Eddie held his breath as a shiver ran down his spine. “I have to tell my mother and Myra.” He finally breathed. Richie nodded, and kissed the back of Eddie's hand before they hurried toward his cabin, sure they were going to find the two women there.

* * *

The grip that Eddie had on Richie’s hand tightened with every step they took towards his cabin. He knew that Henry would have reported back to Myra about his little escapade with Richie, and his mother would no doubt be seething over the fact that he had disobeyed her when she strictly told him not to see Richie again. Richie seemed to sense his nervousness, wrapping his arm around Eddie’s waist to hold him close.

“Do you think they’ll even listen to me?” Eddie asked, his voice quiet as they moved through the corridors. He doubted it, they never listen to him on a normal day, never mind listen to him when in the midst of a crisis.

“If they don’t, make them. You’re stronger than they think, Eds and this is important. Make them listen to you, okay?” Richie replied, tightening his hold.

As they turned the corner where Eddie’s cabin was located, Henry was the first to spot them, his eyebrows raising the closer they got to the cabin. He pushed himself off of the wall and walked towards them, almost with purpose, but Eddie was too focused on what

he was going to say to his mother to pay any attention to him, as was Richie.

“Edward, we were beginning to worry,” Henry gritted out, no sign of worry present in his tone. “We’ve been looking for you.”

Eddie ignored him in exchange for gripping Richie’s hand tighter. The voices that were coming from inside the cabin were loud and boisterous the closer they approached. The second Eddie rounded the corner into the room, his mother was in front of him, her eyes full of anger.

“Where have you been?” She spat, her eyes flitting to Richie’s momentarily before landing back on him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Eddie responded with a slight shake of his head. “Something serious has happened and-”

“Yes it has!” Myra piped up. “Two very important things have gone missing this evening, at least now that one of them is back, it shouldn’t be too hard to locate the other.” She turned to Henry and then pointed a perfectly manicured nail at Richie. “Search him.”

“What?” Eddie squeaked out as Henry, as well as the master-at-arms, began searching Richie, checking all of his pockets of his pants and then his jacket. “Myra, stop this, we’re in the middle of an emergency, you have to listen to me-”

“Is this what you were looking for ma’am?” the master-at-arms spoke up and all eyes turned to what he was holding in his hand. The necklace that Eddie was meant to give to Myra. His eyes widened, almost bugging out of his head as the whole scene unravelled in front of him.

“That’s it!” Myra confirmed and Richie’s scoff echoed through the cabin.

“What the fuck? This is bullshit! I didn’t take that,” his eyes shot to Eddie. “I didn’t, Eds. I swear I didn’t take it. This is a set up!”

“He- he couldn’t have,” Eddie shook his head in denial. “I was with him the whole time there was no way he could have taken it.”

Myra rolled her eyes, “Maybe he did it when you were putting your clothes back _on_ , Edward.” Her voice was laced with spite and bitterness and Eddie winced, aware that she had seen the drawing.

“Eds, Eds this is a set up. They’ve slipped it into my pocket!” Richie defended and Myra glared at him, shutting him up.

“This isn’t even your jacket,” Henry grumbled, pulling back the label on the back of the jacket. “Property of P. Wise.”

Eddie’s eyes snapped back to Richie, his jaw dropping just a little as his head span. The master-at-arms made quick work of pulling out the handcuffs, pulling Richie’s arms back behind his back as he protested. “I swear I was going to return it! Don’t listen to them Eddie, don’t. I didn’t do it. You know me, Eddie!”

His mother grabbed at his arms, turning him away from the scene as Richie was dragged out of the cabin. His stomach was in knots and he ran his fingers through his curls. Had Richie stolen from him? He couldn’t have, there was no way….but all the evidence was there to support it. He didn’t have much time to think about it as his mother ushered everyone out of the room, leaving him alone with her and Myra.

Silence stretched on between the three of them. Where was he even going to begin? Explain about the incident that had happened on deck? Explain that he wasn’t going to marry Myra anymore and that he was leaving once the ship docked, if it docked, in New York? What he didn’t expect was his mother to walk up to him and smack him hard across the side of his face.

“How dare you humiliate us like that, Edward,” She spat, her voice filled with nothing but anger and annoyance. Eddie kept his head down, not yet ready to meet her eyes yet, but she had other ideas. “You’ll look at me when I’m talking to you.”

His face was pushed up and his mother’s hands were on his shoulders, shaking him, “Mother stop-”

Then there was a knock at the door, breaking the harsh tension between them and Myra yelled out, “Not now, we’re busy.”

Whoever was at the door had other ideas, pushing inside with three life vests hanging over his arm. It was a member of the crew, and his expression was serious. “Orders of the

Captain, everyone must be wearing a life vest.”

“I just said we were busy! Does no-one have any manners on this ship!” Myra hissed but the man ignored her, instead passing her a life vest.

“Apologies ma’am but these are orders from the Captain. Please put on your life vest.” He passed one to his mother and then one to Eddie himself. “I’ve also been informed to tell you to dress warmly as it is very cold out this evening.”

Those who had been in the cabin earlier, made their way back inside, some of them with eyes full of concern. Henry stopped in front of Eddie and handed him his jacket, “It’s cold.” He spat before he turned away, grabbing a life vest on his way out. Not wanted to be the cause of any further arguments, Eddie slipped on the coat and followed his mother and Myra out of the cabin and towards the main lobby.

The place was bustling with people, some wearing life vests, some not. The maids were following behind his mother and Myra, making sure they were dressed warmly but his mother kept brushing them off. “Please go turn the heaters on it our rooms, I would like it to be warm on our return.”

Eddie droned her out as he watched Mr Andrews walk into the lobby, the colour of his face pale white and his expression somewhat blank. A surge of panic built up in his chest and he surged forward, his hand reaching out for the sleeve of Mr Andrew’s jacket. “Mr Andrews.”

He turned, his eyes meeting Eddies, full of nothing but fear. “Eddie.” His voice was shaky,  which almost confirmed Eddie’s suspicions, but he needed to hear it from the man himself.

“I saw the iceberg,” he breathed. “I saw it. Please tell me the truth.”

Mr Andrew’s deflated, and he let out a very soft sigh and walked him back down the steps. Behind him, Myra had gravitated, listening in to their conversation. “The ship will sink.” He spoke clear as day, sending a shiver of fear down Eddie’s spine.

“You’re certain?” He asked, keeping his voice calm.

“Yes.” He looked around the lobby. “In an hour or so, all of this will be at the bottom of the Atlantic.”

“What?” Myra gasped from behind Eddie, but Mr Andrews continued.

“Please, only tell those who you must. I do not want there to be a rush of panic. Get to a boat, right now it’s only women and children but the second a boat becomes available you must get on it, do you understand?”

Eddie nodded, raising his hand to his mouth to hide his shock. “Yes...I understand.”

With one final look at Myra, Mr Andrew’s nodded and rushed off back up the stairs.

Richie was right. The ship was indeed, going to sink.

* * *

“Now you’ll stay here, nice and quiet.” Patrick hissed, eyes scanning Richie from behind his greasy bangs. “We don’t want to cause any more trouble, do we?”

Richie stood still as the master-at-arms handcuffed him to a pipe. “I didn’t do anything.” He repeated for the hundredth time. “I didn’t take the necklace.”

“You keep saying that, buddy, but the necklace was, indeed, in your pocket. And, if that’s not enough, it wasn’t even your pocket.” The master-at-arms pointed out, making Patrick chuckle from his spot in the corner of the room.

“I’ll take care of him.” The bodyguard said and, with that, the master-at-arms left the room without sparing Richie with a second glance.

“I knew Edward was a little faggot.” He laughed, shaking his head and taking a seat at the desk, throwing his feet on the table. “It was pretty obvious, if you ask me. What surprises me is that he decided to go for you. A filthy, penniless, useless commoner.”

Richie glared at him and clenched his fists. He wanted to punch the guy so hard.

“What did you think would have happened, exactly?” Patrick asked after a moment of silence. “Did you think you were gonna live happily ever after?. Come on. Even someone like you must have known that there was no chance. There’s money involved. A lot of money. More than you can even begin to imagine. Did you really think we were just gonna leave you be? Wave you goodbye at the harbour and watch you go? This is business. But I don’t expect you to know what that word means.” Patrick chuckled, lighting himself a cigarette.

“I don’t expect you to know how to spell it.” Richie shot back, making the man narrow his eyes.

“You’re not in the position to be a smart ass.” Patrick warned.

“How would you prefer me, then? On my hands and knees?” Richie smirked, but the smile was quickly wiped off his face as Patrick stood up and punched him in the stomach, making him bend in two and groan in pain.

“You’re a dead man talking.”

Richie coughed and struggled to stand up straight. He needed to find a way out of there.

He knew the ship was sinking, but it didn’t really hit him until the bullet Patrick was playing with started rolling down the table. Patrick stopped it, let it roll again, stopped it and then again, looking very much like an amused children who had just found out a way to entertain himself.

“Holy shit, it’s going down fast.” He chuckled, while Richie struggled to understand what part of the whole deal Patrick found so funny.  “I’ll give it two hours at most.” Patrick loaded the gun and stood up, smiling at Richie. “I should probably kill you now, but you know what?” He stroked Richie’s cheek with the barrel and grinned. “I think I’ll just let you drown. Slowly. Much more fun, don’t you think?”

“Hysterical.” Richie flinched away and Patrick took a couple of steps back.

“I’ll tell Edward you said hello.”

With that, Patrick left him alone, closing the door behind his back on his way out.

* * *

The upper deck was swarmed with people, mainly women and children as they crowded around the crew preparing the lifeboats. With each passing moment, the realisation of what was going to occur in such a short period of time became more prominent in Eddie’s mind. He remembered the conversation with Mr Andrews about the lifeboats, he had done the calculation in his head and he _knew_ ****there just weren’t enough boats on the ship to ensure everyone on boards safety.

The thought that there was some people on this ship who weren’t going to make it, made Eddie want to vomit up the empty contents of his stomach.

“Perhaps we can come to some arrangement with the crew to ensure Edwards gets on the boat with us?” Myra spoke up, talking to his mother as they were ushered forwards towards a boat. Eddie fought the urge to roll his eyes, of course Myra would only be concerned about the small world around her and not the bigger picture. Didn’t she realise that the space she wanted him to take, could save a life of an innocent child or young woman?

From somewhere down the deck, the music from the violinists was drifting towards them, in an attempt to ease the panic that the passengers were engulfed in. Who wouldn’t panic under the circumstances?

He was broken out of his thoughts as he was jolted forwards, towards the boats. The crew made a move to stop him, insisting that it was only women and children, but Myra and his mother had other ideas. His mother stepped into the man’s personal space, her hands gripping the front of his life vest.

“Now you listen to me, my son will get on this boat with me, or I will cause a commotion here and no-one will get on board, do I make myself clear?” She hissed and Eddie watched in shock as his the man’s eyes widened, nodding and stepping aside to let them through.

“I do hope they’re not too crowded,” Myra muttered, her arm circling around Eddie’s, gripping him tight. “Will they be seated according to class?”

Eddie stopped short, causing Myra to stumble forward and whip her head around to face him, eyes full of shock. “Oh Myra, shut the fuck up will you,” he spat. “Don’t you get it? It’s freezing and there aren’t enough boats for everyone on board. Half the people on this ship are going to die!”

His mother scoffed, “Not the better half.”

From next to her, Eddie spotted Beverly, and he watched the way her eyes hardened at his mother’s words, yet she remained silent. Now was no time for arguing, they were wasting time. “Come on Sonia, Myra, get in the boat!” She gripped the end of his mother’s jacket, causing her to turn and climb into the boat.

Myra moved to get into the boat, but she stopped. “You know it’s a shame I never kept that drawing. It would be worth a whole lot more by morning.”

As her words settled in Eddie’s mind, his eyes widened. His mind flashed back to a few hours ago, to how he had asked Richie to put the drawing and the necklace back into the safe. How he had done exactly as he had asked because Richie wasn’t a liar. Richie wasn’t deceitful or toxic or evil...but Myra was.

“You bitch…” he breathed. “You complete and utter bitch.”

“What?” Myra blinked, in shock. “Edward!”

“Myra, Eddie come on, get in the boat!” Bev called, holding her hand out to help them on. It was getting fuller by the moment. Eddie ignored her and held Myra’s arm.

“It’s over. You and me, we’re over.” He stated firmly. “No wedding, nothing. I never want to see you again.”

A blank look took over her face and then it hardened. “So what, you’re going to go be a whore to a gutter rat?” She hissed and Eddie let out a bark of a laugh.

“I’d rather be his whore, than your husband.”

Before Myra could say anything else, she was picked up and placed on the boat with Bev and his mother. The crewman turned to him, gesturing for him to get on board but Eddie remained standing, face flushed in anger. “Edward!” His mother screeched. “Get on the boat right now.”

He paused before he shook his head. “Goodbye mother.” Then, without another word he turned on his heel and walked away, the screeches from his mother begging him to come back becoming nothing but noise in the background.

Eddie knew what he had to do, he had to find Mr Andrews and beg for him to tell them where they put Richie. He had to find him and just hope that wherever they had him hadn’t already flooded by now. The mere thought that Richie could already be dead because of him, made him want to scream and cry and throw up all at once. His thoughts were cut off as a hand wrapped around his wrist and tugged him back. Henry stood in front of him, eyes dark and dangerous. “Let go of me.” Eddie tugged, but Henry’s grip was stronger.

“If you know what’s best for you, you’ll go back and get on that boat. You’ll marry Ms Kingston even if you’re not worthy of her.” Henry growled and Eddie laughed, bitter.

“If you think so highly of her, why don’t you marry her instead,” Eddie spat before he pulled his free arm back and punched Henry in the face. “Next time I ask you to let me go, fucking do it.”

As Henry clutched his nose, Eddie turned on his heel and was lost to the crowd. He pushed his way through the throngs of people, yelling out for Mr Andrews, hoping that by some miracle, the other man could hear him. He was running out of time.

“Mr Andrews!” He screamed, rushing through the door to the lobby and down the cabin corridors. A wave of relief washed over Eddie as he spotted the man helping a young family into life vests and he picked up his pace. “Mr Andrews!”

Mr Andrews looked up, his eyes full of alarm at the fact that Eddie was still on the boat. “Edward-”

“Where would the master-at-arms take someone under arrest?” Eddie rushed out, his voice filled with panic, his breathing harsh.

“Edward- Eddie you must get to a boat-” he started but Eddie shook his head.

“Please- please. I am doing it with or without your help sir, but without would take longer and I don’t have enough time.”

Mr Andrews stared at him for a moment before relenting, nodding his head and explaining to Eddie in extreme detail the directions to where Richie had been taken earlier that night. Eddie repeated the words over and over again as he rushed towards the elevator, only to be stopped in his tracks.

“I’m sorry sir, but the lifts are closed.”

Too panic ridden and filled with adrenaline, Eddie wasn’t taking no for an answer, and instead of walking away, he pushed the crew member into the lift and closed the doors. “I’m done with being polite for fuck sake, now take me down!”

As the lift descended to the lower deck, the water which had been gathering began to spill into the open doorway. When it came to a stop, Eddie ripped the doors open and rushed out into the water, hissing at its freezing temperature.

The ship was sinking, and it was sinking fast. Too fast.

He ignored the crew man’s cries that he was taking the lift back up as he powered through, repeating Mr Andrew’s words in his mind like a mantra. When he reached the end of the corridor he stopped short, was it a left or a right?

“Richie!” He cried out instead, in the hopes that the other man would hear him and call back, directing him on which way to turn. “Richie!”

Panic and fear were running in his veins. What if he was too late?

There was silence for a few seconds and Eddie was about to open his mouth and scream again when a very faint call of his name echoed down from the corridor to his right.

“Richie!” He screamed again, rushing through the water as fast as he could, towards the voice.

“Eddie!”

“Richie!” Eddie came to a stop outside of a closed door and he pushed it open, his whole being sagging in relief as his eyes landed on Richie, who was handcuffed to a pipe, legs under water and terror mixed with relief painted all over his pale face. He pushed the wooden desk out of the way as he splashed through the water, coming to a stop by Richie and taking his face into his hands, pressing their lips together. “Richie, oh my god, Richie I’m sorry...I’m so sorry!”

“Eds, fuck, that Henry guy put it in my pocket!” He gasped, returning the kiss as best he could.

“I know, I know!” Eddie sobbed. “I know.”

“Eds, listen to me, you need to find a spare key okay?” Richie said and Eddie nodded his head, looking around the room and landing on a key cabinet. He splashed his way through the floating debris and came to a stop. “It’s a little silver one.”

“These are all brass ones!” Eddie cried, flicking through them all before giving up and raiding the drawers of the desk next to him, hands shaking with adrenaline and cold. “There’s no key here!”

Eddie dropped the drawer into the water and looked around the room for something, anything that might be able to free Richie. As they landed on an emergency axe, used to help passengers escape from their rooms if they were locked in, he had an idea. He waddled over to the axe, the water now reaching his hips and pulled it out of his case, turning back to Richie.

“Eds, you’re a genius!” Richie grinned. “Do some practice ones first, try and hit the same place twice okay?”

Eddie nodded and held onto the axe firmly, bringing it down on a piece of wood before pulling it back off and going at it again, missing the mark by not that much. “Do you want me to try again?” He asked but Richie shook his head.

“That’s enough practice,” he muttered and pulled his wrists as far apart as he could. Fear settled in Eddie’s stomach as he thought about missing the mark, and hitting Richie instead. As though sensing his hesitation, Richie called out his name. “Hey, hey Eds, look at me.” Eddie looked up, meeting his eyes. “You’ve got this. I trust you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Eddie whispered and got into position, raising the axe and with a quick movement, brought it down, cutting the handcuffs in half. A laugh bubbled out of both of their lips as Richie jumped down and pulled Eddie into his arms, closing the gap as he kissed him deeply and passionately.

“You did it,” Richie breathed and laced their fingers together. “Now let’s get the fuck out of here.”

* * *

Every step they took felt like their bodies weighted so much more than they actually did. The water reached their waist, and trying to fight the current was physically exhausting. They were far too low on the ship, and every hallway around them seemed to be completely filled with water. It looked like there was no way out, but Richie wasn’t having any of it. He had to bring Eddie to safety, no matter what it took.

“Come on!” He held Eddie’s hand tighter.

“There’s no way out!” Eddie cried, clothes soaked with cold water.

“We need to find the main staircase, babe. Come on, we can do that. Think, Eds. Which way?”  

Eddie struggled to clear his mind from the panic. “We- We have to follow the F deck.” He finally said, teeth clattering together.

When they finally reached the upper level, Richie let himself lean against a wall to catch his breath He was so filled with adrenaline that he didn’t even feel the cold. His clothes were freezing and sticking to his body, and yet the only thing that he could think about was that he needed to get Eddie on the upper deck as soon as possible and get them both on a life boat.

As they approached the third class section, all they heard were screaming and swearing and pleads.

The gates that led to the upper levels were closed.

“You can't keep us down here!” Someone was yelling. Little children were screaming, women were crying and men were kicking the gate and swearing against the members of the staff.

“As soon as the first class passenger are arranged on the lifeboats, we'll let you upstairs. You just need to be patient.”

“Patient?! This ship is bloody sinking!” Richie recognized Stan's voice and his eyes widened. He pushed his way through the crowd and, when Stan noticed him, they crashed their bodies together in tight hug. “My god, I thought I was never gonna see you again.” He breathed in Richie's ear, clasping his hand down on his back.

“We need to go upstairs, Stanny, and fast. This fucking thing is going down real fast.”

Stan nodded and grabbed Mike's wrist, pulling him closer. “There's no way this asshole we'll let us through.” He glared at the man in the white uniform on the other side of the gate.

“Alright, alright…” Richie closed his eyes for a minute, trying to think fast. “There's another staircase, right? Let's try there.”

Richie intertwined his fingers with Eddie's and pulled him along as the four of them made their way to the other end of the corridor, where there was a smaller, but equally angry crowd.

“You have to wait!” One of the men in white yelled.

Richie clenched his jaw and let go of Eddie's hand. He elbowed anyone on his way until his fists were closed around the bars.

“Open the gate.” He growled, feeling very much capable of murder in that moment.

“Go back to the main staircase, it'll all be sorted there.” The bald man said, in an annoyed voice.

“Open this fucking gate, right now!” Richie repeated, making the man take a step back.

“You have to go to the main staircase!”

Richie took a deep breath, then started kicking and shaking the bars. “Jesus fucking Christ! You fucking son of a bitch!” He turned his head and ran to the wall, were a wooden bench was.

“Mike, Stan, help me out!” As they started to pull the bench and tear it from where it had been secured against the wall, Eddie pushed everyone in the crowd to the side, to give.

Together, the three of them managed to take the gate down, using the bench to hit it.

“You can't do that! You can't do that!” The man kept repeating, only to be silenced by Mike's fist connecting with his nose.

Richie wrapped his arm around Eddie's waist and helped him to the other side. Thankfully, there were no more closed gates on their way. The four of them finally reached the upper deck, where it seemed that chaos and panic had swallowed the whole ship. People were running in every direction, echoes of screams made it almost impossible to hear anything else, cries and sounds of wires breaking and glasses shattering were overwhelming.

“We're going to see how's the situation on the other side!” Stan said, wrapping his hand around Richie's wrist. “What are you going to do?”

“I don't know. Find a lifeboat, probably.” He put his hands on Stan's shoulders and looked in his eyes. “I'll see you in America, alright?”

Stan nodded.

Either of them refused to take into consideration the possibility of never seeing each other again.

They hugged tight, then Richie hugged Mike before the latter took Stan's hand. Then they disappeared into the crowd.

“Richie?” Eddie's voice was small next to him. “They're gonna be okay, right?”

Richie swallowed, then nodded and turned to smile at his lover. “Yeah. We're all gonna be okay.” He put his hands on Eddie's face and looked in his eyes. “Now listen to me. We have to find a life boat, okay?”

“They're only letting women and children on.” Eddie said, shaking his head. “And there are not enough boats for everyone.” Eddie's eyes lit up when he saw Mr Astor walking calmly on the deck. “JJ!” He called, running up to him and grabbing his sleeve. “Are there any lifeboats left?”.

The man smiled at Eddie, very politely, and touched his top hat. “Not so many, son, in that direction. I think a couple of them are letting men on.” He told him.

“Aren't you going to get in?” Eddie asked, blinking.

“Ah, no. See, I'm wearing my finest suit and I'm ready to sink like a gentleman.”

Eddie's heart dropped a little and his eyes widened slightly, but then Richie grabbed his shoulder. There wasn't time for conversation. Eddie thanked him and Richie pulled him along, following Astor's directions.

When they found the lifeboats, Richie did everything he could to pull Eddie in the front row.

“There's just one seat left!” The man in charge yelled, and Richie pushed Eddie forward.

“Let him on!” He called, gaining the man's attention. “He's a first class passenger!”

“No! No, Richie! Wait!” Eddie held onto Richie's suspenders while the man tried to get him on board. “I'm not getting in without you!”

“Hey, hey, hey, look at me.” Richie cupped Eddie's cheeks, stroking them with his thumbs. “Look at me. I'll be fine, I _promise_ ****you. I’ll see you when all this will is over, but you _have_ ****to get on this boat.”

Eddie shook his head, while tears ran down his cheeks. “I can't, I don't want to.”

“Get on the boat, Eds.” Richie repeated.

“Yes, get on the boat, Edward.” Henry Bowers said, glancing between the two of them. “I've made a deal for two seats. Mr Tozier and I will get the next one.”

Richie swallowed, well aware that there was no deal. At least not for him. He knew what Bowers’ motive was. As long as he could keep his job and be paid an obnoxious amount of money, he was going to do anything to get Eddie to marry Myra.

“See? I'm getting on the next one. You don't have to worry about me.”

Eddie didn't look so sure, but with one last kiss on his lips, Richie let go of him, letting the crew member help Eddie on board.

He didn't take his eyes off of him for the entire time. He waited for the crew to start easing the boat down, and he could barely hear any noise anymore.

“You're a good liar.” He said after a moment, but smiling at Eddie to comfort him.

“Almost as good as you.” Henry said, smirking.

“There's no deal, is there?”

Henry chuckled darkly. “Oh, there is. But you're not going to benefit from it.”

Despite already knowing it, Richie felt hopeless. He stared down at Eddie, knuckles white from how hard he was holding the wooden parapet and heart heavy in his chest.

* * *

As the boat lowered towards the ocean below, Eddie kept his eyes trained above him, never once breaking contact with Richie’s. He blocked out the panicked chatter from the other passengers, his heart still hammering inside his chest. The second that the boat touched the water, there was no going back, there was no way of knowing if he would ever see Richie again.

No doubt his mother and Myra would track him down as soon as they got to safety. He would be shackled and forced to marry the woman he despised most in the world. The boat rocked at it was lowered, the instructions to take it easy being one of the only sources of noise. Eddie turned his head just a little, glancing at the other passengers on board, at the mothers and children waving goodbye to their fathers and husbands. His head shot back up, meeting Richie’s gaze once again and he fought back a sob as he nodded his head, telling him he had to go.

An echo of screams caught his attention, breaking his eye contact with Richie and he turned his head to the side. There were two lifeboats, one almost collapsing on top of the other due to tangled ropes. They were moving too fast, and the boats were almost half empty, which meant even more people on this ship were going to die. The commotion caused the lifeboat he was on to come to a halt, parallel with the second deck. It was only a short jump and he would be back on board. Back with Richie.

“ _If you jump, I’m going to have to jump in there after you.”_

Richie’s words from the night they had met echoed through his mind. Back when they barely knew each other, Richie was willing to jump into the water after him, to risk his life for a stuck up rich kid. He looked up once again, etching Richie’s face into his mind. His dark curls, his sharp cheekbones, his eyes, his smile, his everything.

Eddie didn’t want to just have a memory. He wanted to have the real thing. Right until the very end.

Without another thought, Eddie sucked in a deep breath and stood up, pushing his way through the sitting people and all but lunging himself out, grabbing onto the ledge of the second deck, hauling himself up.

“Eddie!” From above him he could hear Richie’s shouts. “Eddie, what the fuck! No!”

Eddie ignored everyone’s screams around him, focusing on getting back onto the boat, focusing on getting himself back to Richie. He couldn’t leave him, he couldn’t. A few hands pulled at his arms, helping him back onto the ship and once his feet were on solid ground, he broke into a sprint, rushing through the doors and towards the staircase that would take him back onto the upper deck.

He didn’t care who he was pushing out of the way and there was no apology that left his lips when he was yelled at. His breathing was coming out in harsh pants and tears were streaming down his pale cheeks. When he finally pushed through the final set of double doors, his eyes landed on Richie almost immediately as he rushed down the stairs, his face full of panic.

They met in the middle, Eddie’s arms wrapping around Richie’s neck tight as he was pulled into his arms. “Eds what the fuck, why did you do that?” Richie cursed into his ear, only holding him tighter, pressing harsh kisses into his hair. There was no care for who was watching them at this point, it didn’t matter anymore. “You’re so stupid Eds.”

Richie placed his hands on Eddie’s face, pulling him back and bringing their lips together. “You jump, I jump remember?” Eddie sobbed out. “I couldn’t do it Richie. I couldn’t, not without knowing that you were going to be alright.”

“You’re insane,” Richie breathed. “You are completely insane.” He pressed their foreheads together. “We’ll think of something okay?”

Eddie nodded his head, “At least- at least we’re together right?”

“Right, we’re together. love you...”

Right then, just for that one moment, everything was alright. They were together, and in Eddie’s mind as long as they were together, they were going to be fine.

Then, that moment was shattered by the sound of a gunshot, followed by a bullet hitting a vase directly behind them. Eddie shot his head around, his eyes landing on Henry as he stood a few metres away, gun in his hand and an almost feral look in his eyes. He gripped onto Richie’s hand and tugged him away, avoiding the following gunshot.

“RUN!” Richie screamed out, tugging Eddie towards the staircase, narrowly avoiding another gunshot in the process. Henry was hot on their heels, releasing gunshot after gunshot at them, but Richie only tugged Eddie down the stairs faster. A wave of fear took over as they reached the bottom, filled up high with water.

“Riche!” Eddie cried, almost begging him to stop, but it was either dive into the icy water, or be shot by Henry and after what they had been through, there was no way he was dying at Henry’s hand. A shot landed into the water next to them and Richie pulled him in, towards the door that led to the dining room.

He turned his head, watching with a surge of happiness as Henry shot the gun, but it was empty. He had fired all the bullets. Richie burst through the door, dragging Eddie with him, leaving behind Henry and his scream of, “I hope you enjoy your time together” in their wake.

As they ran through the dining room, Eddie noticed that they were running uphill, which meant that the ship was sinking so fast on one end, that she was tilting upwards. “Richie…” he breathed, stopping for a second to catch his breath whilst his lover tried the door on the opposite side.

With a few harsh budges, the door opened and Richie reached back to take Eddie’s hand, pulling him through the door and down a thin corridor and down some more stairs. Just as the reached another corridor, a noise caught Eddie off guard and he turned his head around only to see a door...a door that was leaking. Which could only mean that there was a lot of water on the other side, just ready to break through at any moment.

Richie turned his head, as if to ask what Eddie was stopping for when his eyes landed on the door, realisation seeping in, “Fuck, come on,” he pulled at Eddie’s hand, tugging him faster down the corridor.

They didn’t get far, as the door burst open and the water come rushing through, right towards them. They broke into a run, but the water was too fast, sweeping them up and carrying them down the corridor at a fast speed.

“Richie!” Eddie screamed out as he spotted a locked gate ahead, but there was no way of stopping and their bodies collided with the gate at a rapid force, causing Eddie to let out a cough.

“Eds! Are you alright?” Richie called over the rushing water that was spilling through the gates and up the stairs. He let out a whimper but nodded his head, reaching through the gate with one hand to feel for the lock, whilst the other gripped onto Richie’s for dear life.

“We need a key!” He cried, glancing down as the water reached his waist. “Richie what are we going to do?”

Richie opened his mouth to answer, but before he could a member of the crew appeared from down the corridor beyond the gate. “Hey!” Richie called, gaining his attention. “Help us please?”

“Please!” Eddie begged, his fingers wrapping around the bars, “Please help us!”

The man paused, and moved as though he was going to leave them there and continue up the stairs, but he stopped and turned back around, his hand fishing in his pocket for the keys. His hands were shaking as he went through each key, turning up blank as none of them worked. The water was steadily gaining, now up to their armpits and Eddie was starting to panic.

“Please hurry!” He whimpered, with urgency in his voice. It must have startled the man, as he jumped causing him to drop the keys to the floor.

He looked up in a panic and then back to the stairs. “I’ve dropped the keys, I’m sorry!” He glanced at them one last time before he shot up the stairs, leaving Eddie and Richie alone.

Richie growled after him, but quickly dived under the water, breaking the surface a few moments later with the keys. “Don’t worry,” he panted, his hands working each key through the lock as fast as he could.

“Richie, hurry!” Eddie screamed as the water reached his neck, causing him to tilt it back in order to breathe. He felt Richie next to him, fumbling with the final key as the water finally rose above their heads. Eddie held his breath, eyes wide as Richie finally turned the lock, opening the gates and allowing them to fall through.

Eddie gasped, letting air fill his lungs as he scrambled to his feet, following Richie up the stairs. They had to get back to the upper deck, that was their best chance. Richie pulled him up the stairs and through various doors until Eddie found themselves running through a familiar room. It was the room where the men came to smoke after dinner, and there was a man standing by the fireplace on the other end. The closer they ran to the other side, the more Eddie could make out who the man was.

“Mr Andrews!” Eddie tugged Richie to a stop as he approached the man.

“Eddie,” he answered softly his eyes flitting to Richie’s for a second before turning back to Eddie.

“Won’t you even at least try?” Eddie asked, his voice breaking.

“Eddie we have to go,” Richie begged, tugging on his arm. Mr Andrews stepped forward, a life jacket in his hand as he passed it to Eddie.

“I’m sorry I didn’t build you a stronger ship,” he spoke softly. “Good luck to you both.”

With one final look at the man, Eddie let Richie pull him out of the room and onto the upper deck. People were scrambling all around them, the screams almost deafening. Richie’s grip on his hand tightened as he pulled him through the crowd. “We need to get to the stern of the ship. We need to stay on board as long as possible, alright?”

Eddie nodded his head, following him as he pushed past people, rushing to the stern of the ship. She was tilting upwards with every passing second, which only made Richie tug on him faster. The more the ship tilted, the louder the screams got. As the reached the steps that would take them up to the stern, Eddie’s attention was caught to his left, where a minister was reading from the bible, being gripped onto by various types of people.

A bitter thought crossed Eddie’s mind. Not even god was going to save them now.

“Come on!” Richie called, pulling Eddie through the gate and making the final stretch to their destination. Eddie gripped onto the bars with one hand, and onto Richie with another as he held himself close.

He looked around, at all the people clinging to the bars of the stern for their life, muttering prayers and soothing words to their loved ones. Eddie closed his eyes, resting his head against Richie’s chest for a moment, before a thought passed his mind and he pulled back to look in his eyes. “Richie- Richie this is where we first met.”

Oh, how ironic.

Richie held his gaze for a few moments before pressing a harsh kiss to his forehead. “It’s going to be okay, Eds. It’s all going to be okay. Hang on tight.”

Just as the words left Richie’s lips, the lights in the ship went out with a single flicker, leaving the whole place engulfed in nothing but darkness.

The screams got louder.

Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the ship split in two with a roaring sound. As the stern began falling down, back towards the sea, Eddie let out a scream, gripping onto Richie for dear life so as not to fall. As the base hit the water, some splashed up and over onto the deck. The stillness of the ship being at its normal angle didn’t last, as the bow of the ship fell towards the bottom of the ocean, pulling the stern back up with it towards an upright position.

Eddie watched as Richie looked above him, jumping into action as he pulled himself up by gripping onto a pole and over so he was on the other side of the railing, “Eds, give me your hand, come on. I’ll pull you over!” He screamed and Eddie reached out, gripping Richie’s hand tight and allowing him to be pulled over, just as the bow reached its upright position.

It came to a standstill and everyone around them were frozen as they waited with baited breath. Then it happened. With a jolt, the bow of the ship began its descent towards the freezing cold ocean below.

People all around them were losing their grip and falling, their bodies whacking off of the various pillars and posts of the ship. Eddie winced at the scene, closing his eyes as his grip on the railing tightened. “Richie- what are we going to do?” He called out, turning his head to the side.

“This is it,” Richie yelled over the screaming. “Eds, the ship is going to suck us down. I need you to take a deep breath when I say, and whatever you do don’t let go of my hand. Keep kicking and make for the surface okay?”

Eddie nodded his head in understanding, watching with horrified eyes as they sank closer and closer to the ocean. This really was it. The ship was about to be at the bottom of the Atlantic, taking them with it.

“We’re gonna make it Eds, trust me,” Richie assured him and Eddie nodded.

“I trust you.”

They were only a few metres away now and Eddie was breathing heavily in preparation for taking the deep breath on Richie's command. Then it came. “Ready? Now!”

Eddie sucked in a deep breath, his grip on Richie’s hand tightening as the RMS Titanic succumbed to the icy waters below.

* * *

It’s hard to think when your body feels like it’s being stabbed with a thousand knives. It’s hard to breathe, to think, to blink. It feels like any movement might only hurt you more, and every second might be your last. Richie fell in the icy waters of a lake in Wisconsin when he was just a kid, only to be pulled back to safety in a matter of seconds by his father.

But this.

Being lost in the Atlantic Ocean, in the middle of the night, surrounded by nothing than darkness and fear and panic and cries, couldn’t even compare.

He had to keep moving, though, and more importantly, he had to find something to keep Eddie and himself afloat. It could have took hours before someone came back to look for survivors.

“Come on, Eds. You have to keep swimming.” Richie egged his lover, still holding his hand as they both struggled to swim.

Eddie’s hand felt like a rigid, icy stone in his.

“Just a little more, Eddie. We’re almost there.” Richie said between his clattering teeth, eyes fixed on a piece of wood floating in the distance. “There, baby, here.” He wrapped an arm around Eddie’s waist and helped him get on what must have been a luxurious door, not longer than an hour before.

The mere thought made him want to scream and cry.

An hour.

Two, maybe? He couldn’t tell.

That was all it had took for the RMS Titanic to touch the bottom of the Ocean.

“There you are.” Richie breathed, once Eddie was laying on the door, shaking like a thin leaf during a storm.

Richie tried to follow and climb next to him, but the door flipped over and sent them both back in the water.

“Rich-” Eddie murmured, exhausted.

“It’s fine.You stay there.” Richie decided, helping Eddie on once more.

“N-no. You- You t-too…” Eddie’s voice was weak. Too weak. Of course. Having lived his whole life under a bell made of glass he was a complete stranger to such exhaustion.

“It’s t-too small f-for the both of us.” Richie shook his head and leaned his chin on the wood, looking into Eddie’s eyes.

“W-we c-can take t-turns…” Eddie protested, weakly. “P-please?”

Richie was too tired to argue. He took Eddie’s hands and kissed his knuckles. “Just… d-don’t worry about me. I-I’ll be fine.”

Eddie closed his eyes, and Richie rested his cheek against Eddie’s palm. “I don’t k-know about you, but I’m g-gonna d-drag the W-White Star to c-court as soon as we get to N-New York.” He tried to chuckle, but his lungs were starting to hurt.

“R-Richie…” Eddie whispered in a thin, glass-like voice. “I l-love you.”

“No, no, hey. Eds. No. D-don’t you d-dare s-say good-goodbye.” He stuttered, squeezing Eddie’s hand in his. “Look at me.” Eddie opened his eyes slowly, almost like they weighed a ton. “You’re so s-strong, remember? S-stronger than you think.”

“I can’t feel my body…” Eddie breathed, and Richie kissed his hand again.

“Y-you have to f-fight, Eds. Y-you have to d-do it for yourself. Y-you’re  _free_. No more rules f-for you. You c-can go whe-wherever you want, d-do whatever you w-want. Y-you will die when y-you’re old and w-wrinkly and g-grey. Not h-here, y-you understand?”

“Y-you too…Promise.”

Richie couldn’t feel his body anymore. He couldn’t move his legs. “P-promise.”

He knew what was going to happen within the next few minutes.

“Hey, E-Eds. L-look up at the sky.” He tried to sound as calm as he could, while Eddie turned his head to look up, where an endless carpet of shining and twinkling stars were looking at them. “Y-you know, I’m s-so glad I w-won that hand at p-poker.” He told him. “Y-you are the l-love of my life.” At that point, it hurt too much to talk.

Eddie let out a quiet breath and murmured something Richie couldn’t catch.

The gentle and weak squeeze of Eddie’s fingers around his was the last thing he felt.

A shooting star ran fast in the sky above them.

* * *

It had gone deathly quiet. The screams that had been echoing around them had become less and less the longer they spent in the water. Eddie wasn’t stupid, he knew what was happening. The water was below freezing and there was no way that a human being could withstand that for a long period of time. He kept his gaze on the stars that were lighting up the night sky, pointing out each and every constellation that he could find.

Richie was right, they really were beautiful out.

“Y-you’re the l-love of m-my life t-too,” he breathed out into the open air and even though he received no response from Richie, he wasn’t too worried. He was probably just too cold to speak.

The whole area was so quiet, that any noise could be heard sharply in Eddie’s ears. So when he heard the echo of a whistle blowing in the distance, followed by a yell from a man, Eddie found himself at high alertness. He tilted his head to the side, spotting a flashlight not far away from him, scanning over the bodies, searching for anyone who might still be alive.

Which they were. Eddie and Richie. They were alive.

A surge of hope filled Eddie’s soul and he used every ounce of strength to turn himself around, his hand wrapping around Richie’s wrist, shaking him slightly. “R-Richie…” he croaked, the cold making his voice hoarse. “Richie there’s a b-boat! Wake up, t-there’s a boat.”

Richie didn’t move, not even an inch. Eddie blinked a few times and shook his arm a little harder, making his voice come out a little louder. “Richie! R-Richie wake u-up...there’s a b-boat!” When he still received no response, panic flooded into his being and he shook Richie some more. “Richie? R-Richie please w-wake up. R-Richie? Richie c-come on p-please?”

A sob broke out of his throat, his eyes burning as fresh tears tried to fight through the ice growing on his eyelashes. “R-Richie!” He tried again, even though he knew, deep down that he wasn’t going to get a response. He was never going to get a response.

Suddenly, Richie’s urgency for him to pay attention to the stars made sense. He knew he wasn’t going to make it, and he didn’t want Eddie to watch it happen.

“No, no, no, no!” Eddie choked, his whole body physically shaking. “No, please, no Richie...don’t l-leave me, p-please d-don’t leave m-me.”

In the distance, Eddie could hear the voices of the returning boat get closer to where he was floating, but the hope he had felt earlier of surviving was gone and in its place unimaginable heartbreak. They were meant to survive this. The two of them, together. They were meant to be happy, and start a new life together in New York. Richie was never meant to die.

“You f-fucker,” Eddie sobbed. “You should h-have let me t-take my turn!” He shook Richie one more time. “You s-should- you should have l-let me.”

Silence stretched on, Eddie’s harsh breathing filling the gap. He thought about laying back on the wood, he thought about staring at the stars until death claimed him. There was nothing left for him now. He wasn’t going back to his old life, and he couldn’t start a new one with Richie, not anymore. Right then, Eddie would have welcomed death gladly.

If not for the reminder of the promise he made to Richie no less than thirty minutes ago. The promise for Eddie to live on, to create a life for himself, to carry out all the things he had always wanted to do. To travel, to explore, to have fun. Eddie made that promise under the impression that Richie would be there by his side to experience it with him, but even though that was no longer the case, the need to fulfil his loves dying wish was too strong to ignore.

He turned his head to the direction of the boat, eyes widening as he realised that it was leaving. No. No it couldn’t leave. He swallowed thickly and turned his attention back to Richie, taking his cold hands in his own and bringing them to his lips.

“I love you. I love you so much. I will never, ever forget you,” he breathed, his voice cracking up as he finally let go of Richie’s hands, allowing his body to sink down into the depth of the ocean. He watched for a few moment, his heart breaking with each passing second before he snapped himself out of it and pushed off of the plank of wood, swimming over to where a man was lying with a whistle around his neck.

He ripped the item off and without a moment’s hesitation, brought it to his lips and blew. At first, the sound was weak, but Eddie powered through, delivering blow after blow, allowing the sound to harshen and travel through the open air.

The watched the boat come to a halt, and he winced as the flashlight shone in his eyes as the crew member spotted him, letting out a call to turn the boat around. It didn’t take long for it to float alongside him, two men reaching down and pulling him out of the water and onto the boat itself. He was immediately covered with blankets, and ushered to lay down on his back.

Once again Eddie found himself staring at the stars. This time as he did so, he made a wish that somehow, Richie was looking down on him, watching over him.

* * *

The crew on the Carpathia were attentive, seeing to each and every survivor of the wreckage. When Eddie was helped on board, the first question he was asked was whether he was a first, second or third class passenger. He didn’t even have to think about the answer before it was spilling from his lips.

“Third.”

The man nodded, ushering him forward as he was led to the lower section of the deck, where very few families remained together, huddled in groups. Mothers were consoling their children, young women were grieving for their lost spouses. Eddie felt a tug on his heart and he pulled the jacket he was wearing tighter around his body. He found a seat on a bench, huddling in on himself as he waited for something, anything.

It was then, a voice called out, his words becoming the focus of Eddie’s attention. “Oh sir, I don’t think you’ll find any of your folks down here. All third class.”

Eddie glanced to the side, his eyes widening as he spotted a familiar form. Henry. He grabbed the scarf that was sitting next to him and pulled it over his head, shielding him from view. He closed his eyes, praying that he wouldn’t be caught and dragged back to where his mother and Myra were probably situated.

A breath left his lips as he watched Henry walk away and Eddie knew deep down that that would be the last time he ever saw the man.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there on the lower deck of the ship, but at one point it began to raining hard, battering off of the decking. Most people ran for cover, but Eddie remained where he was, closing his eyes as the rain soaked through his clothes. His heart was in pieces and he wasn’t sure how he was meant to go on and live the life he promised he was going to live.

What he noticed next was the Statue of Liberty and his eyes widened as he realised they had arrived in New York. The passengers started talking, bustling around in preparation to disembark the ship.

He jumped as a man cleared his throat next to him and Eddie turned his head to the side in question. “Can I take your name son?” He asked.

A lump formed in his throat, and he nodded his head. “Yes, it’s Tozier. Eddie Tozier.”

Eddie watched as the man nodded, walking away to speak to the other passengers. He stood still and dipped his hands into the pocket of the jacket. As he did so, a frown took over his face as he felt something, and as he pulled the object out of his hand, a bitter laugh bubbled up in his throat.

The heart of the fucking ocean.

* * *

“There were twenty boats floating nearby, and only one came back. One.” Eddie croaked out as Bill, Audra and the rest of the crew listened on intently as he finished up his recollection. Tears were streaming down Audra’s cheeks and her hand was holding onto Bill’s tightly. “Six were pulled from the ocean, myself included. Six, out of fifteen-hundred.”

Bill ran a hand over his face, the one that wasn’t holding onto Audra’s. “Did you ever see your mother again? Or Myra?”

Eddie shook his head, “No. Though I did hear that she married Henry in the end, but when he lost all of his money in the crash of 29’ he put a pistol in his mouth, leaving Myra and their kids with nothing. A part of me felt sorry for them, but it didn’t last.”

“I’m sorry, but we didn’t find any records of Richie,” Bill finally spoke quietly, addressing the large elephant in the room and Eddie shook his head.

“I can’t imagine you would have,” he whispered. “You know, I don’t even have a picture of him. He exists now, only in my memory.” He paused, looking at all of the people surrounding him and he sighed. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to retire to my bed.”

He was exhausted. Retelling the tale of his events on the doomed ship had tired him out beyond belief. The heartbreak that had faded to a soft dull ache was once again rife in his heart, and he wanted some time alone to let his emotions out. Audra rose to her feet, helping him up. “I’ll take you to bed, we can talk more in the morning?”

Eddie nodded, “Yes, yes of course, we can talk more in the morning.”

He bid Bill and the rest of the crew goodnight and allowed Audra to help him to his cabin. He sat down on the bed and closed his eyes, bringing his hands up to brush over his face. The sound of the door knocking brought him back to himself and he looked up to see Bill in the doorway.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, I know you must be exhausted but...can I have a minute?” He asked and Eddie nodded his head, patting the bed next to him. Bill walked in, holding a box in his hand and closed the door behind him, walking over to the bed and taking a seat.

“How can I help you Mr Denbrough?” Eddie asked, turning to face him.

“Do you know where the diamond is?” He asked, hope laced in his voice and Eddie let out another deep sigh. Throughout the story, he was sitting with the knowledge that he had the necklace that Bill sought in his possession and he was debating over whether or not to give it to him.

Having made up his mind, and no longer wishing to bare the burden of the item, he nodded his head. “I do.”

Bill’s eyes lit up, “You do? Where is it?”

Eddie let out a very soft laugh and leaned over into one of the drawers, pulling out a box. He popped it open and right there, sitting on a blue cushion, was the diamond. “It’s right here.” Neither of them moved for a few moments, Bill’s eyes taking in the very item that he had been searching for for years. Eddie pushed the box out to him. “Here. It’s yours.”

“You- you’re giving it to me?” He asked, shock on his face.

“I don’t need it.” Eddie replied. “I’m an old man, and I came out here to finally find closure. Getting rid of that blasted thing has helped me on my way to find that.”

Bill let out a breath, taking the box and closing it over, sitting on the bed. “I have something for you. We recovered it from the safe when we found your drawing.” He reached into the box and pulled out a familiar leather bound book. Eddie knew exactly what that was and his breathing hitched.

“Is that?”

“I believe so,” Bill whispered. “I didn’t want to pry but...we made sure the drawings were very much in tact.” With that, he stood up. “Thank you.”

Eddie met his eyes and shook his head. “No, Mr Denbrough. Thank _you_.”

Bill nodded his head, taking the box in his hand and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Eddie let out a breath, running his fingertips over the leather of the book as his throat closed up.

He reached a hand over to his radio, flicking it on and inhaling a sharp breath at the song that began to filter through the speakers.

_Eddie, my love, I love you so_

_How I wanted for you, you'll never know_

_Please, Eddie, don't make me wait too long_

_Eddie, please write me one line_

_Tell me your love is still only mine_

_Please, Eddie, don't make me wait too long_

He choked back a sob as he opened the pages of the sketchbook, eyes running over each and every drawing, looking just as he remembered them. It wasn’t until he reached the final page, that he truly broke down. For on that final page, lay something Eddie never expected to find.

A self portrait of Richie.

Dressed in his suspenders, glasses hanging off of the slit on his shirt, curls hanging over his face. He looked exactly the same as Eddie’s memory provided him with. It was like looking into the past. A few of his tears landed on the paper, and as they did, Eddie couldn’t find the will in him to stop them. He sat the drawing to the side and lay down on the bed, sobs wracking his body for the loss of the love of his life. His only love.

All around him were pictures of everything he had done in his life. He had lived a life worth living, just like he promised Richie he would. Now he had finally closed the last chapter of his book. He had found closure. He was finally ready to let go.

As Eddie closed his eyes, the final verse of the song played through the radio, sending him into a deep, deep sleep.  
  
_Eddie, my love, I'm sinking fast_

_The very next day might be my last_

_Please, Eddie, don't make me wait too long_

* * *

When Eddie opened his eyes the first thing he noticed was that he wasn’t in his cabin anymore. At least, not the cabin he fell asleep in. He sat up, blinking at how easy it was, and the lack of aches and pains that he had grown accustomed to over the years. He frowned and stood up, bringing his hands up to his eyes and he froze as he took in the state of his skin. It was smooth and soft...a state that his hands had not been in for many years.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a mirror and he turned his whole body to face it, almost fainting as he took in his reflection. He was twenty years old again, young with his whole life ahead of him. He stumbled back from the mirror and scrambled out of the door and into the corridor. There were a few people moving around, talking amongst one another, paying Eddie no mind as he pushed past them and onto the main deck.

Everything around him looked so familiar, and yet Eddie couldn’t seem to place a single thing. Where was he? He definitely wasn’t on Bill’s ship anymore, everything looked too old and there wasn’t enough machinery on the deck. That, and it was also way to big to be the research ship.

“Are you lost?” A voice called out to him and Eddie felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He knew that voice.

He span around to meet the familiar figure of Mr Andrews, a man who he hadn’t seen since that fateful night. A man who was dead. “Mr Andrews…” he breathed, shock clear in his voice.

“It was your time,” he spoke softly, placing a hand on his shoulders. “Now you get to be in peace.”

With that, Mr Andrews nodded at Eddie and walked down the deck. Eddie followed his movements as well as taking in all the other faces. Faces that he had seen before. Years ago, aboard the RMS Titanic.

That was when it hit him. He _was_ ****on board the RMS Titanic, surrounded by all the other souls who had perished that night. This was the afterlife...which meant when Eddie had fallen asleep he had passed on.

Then something else hit him...hard. If this was the afterlife, and the ship was full of all the passengers who didn’t survive, that must have meant that Richie was here somewhere. _That_ ****thought sprung him into action and Eddie darted off down the deck, first heading for the lower class.

As he staggered down the stairs into the recreational room, his eyes landed on the figures of two other familiar men. Mike and Stan. A gasp fell from Eddie’s lips as he realised that Richie’s two friends also didn’t make it out of the tragedy alive. He slowly approached them, only when he was a few feet away did he clear his throat to gain their attention.

Mike turned first, his eyes widening as he glanced over Eddie’s form. Stan was next, a gasp leaving his lips before he jolted forward and pulled Eddie into a hug. “I know this may not seem appropriate but...I am glad to see you.”

“Where is he, Stan?” Eddie whispered, gripping onto the material of his shirt in desperation.

“He’s at the stern of the ship,” Mike supplied, a smile on his lips as he reached out to squeeze Eddie’s shoulder. “Where you met. He likes to spend his days up there. He’s waiting for you.”

Eddie nodded his head and glanced at the two of them once more before backing up to the stairs. He had kept Richie waiting for 84 years, he wasn’t going to make him wait any longer.

As he rushed down the deck, he apologised to the people he bumped in to in a hurried manner. He had one destination in mind and he was so close, so so close. His breathing was harsh as he came to a stop, stepping through the gate and his eyes scanned over the stern of the deck.

Then he saw him. Laying down on the very same bench he had been that evening Eddie had rushed here to jump. He was staring at the clouds in the sky a sketchbook held firmly in his hands. Eddie’s heart was beating fast and hard, so hard he was scared it might explode out of his chest.

Slowly, he approached Richie, his footsteps alerting him to Eddie’s presence and he sat up. The second he did, their eyes met and it felt as though time stood still. There he was, moving, staring back at Eddie as though he hung the stars.

“Eds…” Richie breathed and it knocked Eddie out of whatever trance he was in.

“Richie…” he sobbed out, rushing towards him and all but throwing himself into Richie’s arms. Luckily the other man had sat up in time, catching him in his arms and holding him close. “Oh my god, oh god Richie.  _Richie_.”

Tears were soaking through Richie’s shirt as they clung to one another, too scared to let go. “Its okay Eds,” Richie whispered, his hands running up and down Eddie’s back in a soothing motion. “I’m here.”

“Why did you do that?!” Eddie cried, punching Richie’s chest. “Why?! Why did you have to die?! Why did-” his voice gave him, wrecked by sobs and tagged breathing. “You died!”

“I'd do it again, Eds.” Richie kissed the top of his head, holding him tight. “All over again.”

“I’m so sorry,” Eddie sobbed, pulling back, meeting Richie’s eyes once more. “I’m sorry I made you wait… I'm sorry I took so long.”

“Hey,” Richie breathed, bringing his hand up to brush away the tears, rubbing his thumb over Eddie’s cheekbones. “I’m _glad_ ****it took you as long as it did. You lived your life to the fullest Eds, you did everything you said you were going to do and I am so so fucking glad you did.”

“I love you,” Eddie choked out because Richie didn't live his life at his fullest, and only to give him the chance to do so. Finally, he pushed himself up on his toes and sealed their lips together in a long awaited, passionate kiss. Eddie felt the warmth flood through him all the way down to his toes and he wrapped his arms around Richie’s neck tight. “I love you, I love you so fucking much. I've never stopped loving you.”

“I love you too,” Riche breathed against his lips, wrapping his arms tight around his waist and holding him close. “I love you too, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ll never leave you again. I promise. I’m not going anywhere,” Eddie assured him and Richie pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Me neither Eds, me neither.”

Eventually, when the adrenaline of being reunited finally faded, they would lace their fingers together and go find Mike and Stan. They would spend time with them, talking and reminiscing before they finally retired to one of the cabins. They would fall into bed together and make love slowly, passionately and deeply, coming together in a way neither of them could have ever imagined. They would finally get the ending they deserved.

But for right now, they soaked each other in silence. Enjoying the beginning of their eternity.

Together.


End file.
